Stargate Wives: Season Four
by JovianJeff
Summary: Stargate wives is where Jack, Daniel and Teal'c are married and Sara, Sha're and Drey'uac are main characters instead of occassional in canon. Drey'auc joins SG-1 Sha're may be next leaving Sara to worry how much longer she will have a job at the SGC.
1. Victories Big and Small

Title: Stargate: Wives; Season Four

Author: Jeff

Category: AU

Content Level: Age 13+

Content Warnings: None

Pairings: Jack/Sara; Teal'c/Drey'auc; Daniel/Sha're

Season: 4

Spoilers: Seasons 1-4

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Stargate wives is where the series generally ran as it did, but Sara, Sha're and Drey'auc are apart of the regular cast like Hammond and Dr. Frasier. Diverging from 'Cold Lazarus' for Sara, 'Bloodlines' for Drey'auc and 'Forever in a Day' for Sha're. This season Drey'auc joins SG-1 with the ongoing possibility that Sha're may not be far behind leaving Sara to worry how much longer will she have a job at the SGC.

The Stargate Wives concept was inspired by the works of LE McMurray and C. L. Kamnikar.

Author's note; since several women have played the role of Drey'auc and I've pictured her taller than the ones who have portrayed her, think Gina Torres for whom I see playing this series version of Drey'auc.

Thank you everyone who has not only stuck with me since season one of this, but written to encourage me to continue. I hope this 'season' is as enjoyable as the previous if not more. I really am trying to grow as a writer and get better at this.

This is not betaed and after last 'season' I know it should be. I hope you enjoy it regardless.

Now without further ado, here is chapter one, Victories Big and Small.

Sara's diary

Exciting times here at the SGC, well for our little corner of it. I actual have mixed feelings about what's coming. Apprehension, excitement, being happy for my friend and fearing for her life. Yet I know not only this is what Drey'auc wants, in a way I of all people should understand, she needs to do this. She's become a symbol and like Teal'c she's got to go out there and be seen. In any case it's out of my hands as General Hammond has approved and more importantly Jack has.

Drey'auc is joining SG-1.

We'll continue our cultural exchange sessions of course, I'm not in any danger of losing my job not with Sha're still needing a Tau'ri attaché and let's not forget Vin of SG-7. Den mother to our alien members of the SGC.

But returning to the subject of my friend and original reason for still being involved with SGC that lead to my remarrying Jack, I should share more with her about women's rights have been on this world and the fight we've had to go through to get them. That's why I should understand. I'm part of the generations that came after the beginning.

Drey'auc will be setting an example for Jaffa women for generations to come. In some ways her role is harder and larger than Teal'c's, though without her husband's example and efforts, her's would be wasted. She's doing what other Jaffa women didn't dream of. Going through the Stargate, fighting beside their men, not just waiting at home for news of victory or the death of their husbands or sons.

Neither Jack nor I would stand against that by insisting Drey'auc stay here or go on to the Land of the Light as suggested more than once. Hiding in refuge while her husband leads the fight to free all Jaffa from their false gods and masters.

George's speech up in the conference room is moving, and more than SG-1 is there to clap as Jack places the SG-1 patches on Drey'auc's BDUs. For these last several years she's been quite the fixture here at the SGC and as she walks out into a filled gateroom, quite a few add their applauds to show how happy they are for her. Personally I think Teal'c is straining his stoic face to keep from beaming with a smile. I can see it in his eyes, a dead giveaway with him.

Well he'll likely loosen up in private. Drey'auc can be as closemouthed as her husband about what happens behind their closed door but from the way I see her the next day I would say she's very satisfied with her husband's likely un-stoic appreciation of her in his arms.

She still won't answer me about is it true that Jaffa men can go on longer than human men, but the smile I get out of her and it is hard to get her to smile most times, speaks volume on the subject. Wait, come to think of it, some of the movies we've rented, she has asked why Tau'ri men seem to not be able to go on as long as their women.

Hmm...maybe there -is- a good reason for Jack to get a symbiote...

Yep, he's never reading that line. I better burn this page after I write or have in my will burn this particular diary.

Still...Maybe I better let Sam know. Martouf is attracted to her and if she knows this she might have more reasons to let him catch her.

I know, bad Sara, no biscuit. Time to clean up this entry or at least not let it descend further into the gutter.

Well speaking of Sam, she and our think tank team of SG-8 are going over a couple of Replicators pieces salvaged from the ocean. She promises, -promises-, she'll be there for the celebration dinner tonight. Jack has his doubts, particularly when she, Guy, Samuel, Doug or Tony try to explain why it's safe to study and how they aren't dooming our world as the Asgard did theirs.

So where does Jack lead us off next? To go pester his best friend, his human best friend. I think Teal'c is too, but different.

"Jack," Daniel says not looking up from his books, I'm rather surprised to not see Sha're here until I remember she mentioned something about learning anatomy and spending time with Janet to be a better healer with that...wait, I'm going to use her term not the SGC's...her Ka'kesh'prim'ta. I have to admit it's become pretty handy here at the SGC for her to use the healing device on incoming injured.

"Daniel," Jack's pretty standard reply in word and tone draws me back to the possible floor entertainment about to unfold in front of me.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking up a few words Major Nelson's wife was able to understand," Daniel replied only briefly looking up to find Jack didn't come alone, "Oh, hi Sara."

I doubt he heard my hello in return, but he did pique my curiosity with what he just said. "Jeannie recognized a few words that sent you to your books?" I can Jack wanted to ask that very same question from the double take he gave him. A smug smile was in order of course.

"Yes," and his tone sent Jack to rolling his eyes already, "Apparently she as able to read or recognize a few Furling words."

"Furling?" I am embarrassed to say Jack and I ended up a duet saying that at the same time.

Daniel was giving us that excited bob of his head when he had others to talk to about his findings, "Yes, as in one of the Four Great Races. As in we've met the Nox and Asgard, but not yet Ancient or Furling. So I'm making sure there couldn't be a mistake before we ask her to look at what we have written in Furling."

Jack was going on about has anyone talked to Major Nelson about this when the phone rang. Neither of those two were going to get it with me as the closest one. So I had to break away and talk to...General Hammond.

"Right sir. Right away sir," Jack and Daniel heard me and their conversation stopped. So since I had the two's undivided attention, I relayed the message, "That was General Hammond, Major Davis is on his way in from the Pentagon."

Drey'auc's day

I still feel the weight of the patches on my shoulders. They are not unwelcome, but like badges of honor. Somewhat like the mark of the Yautja on my forehead, it means a responsibility and right of passage. I now may sit in on meetings that SG-1 does like this one with the visiting Major Davis.

While I do not understand the meaning of the words 'Foxtrot class attack submarine' I keep silent as my husband does. Russian I understand as one of the peoples of the Tau'ri. A people O'Neill does not seem to like, though not as much as his hatred for the Goa'uld.

All of us understand when Major Davis announces the crew of this sub-marine was attacked by a large mechanical spider. The Replicators, or at least one, has survived our ploy to destroy them.

It is not comprehensible why they do not follow O'Neill's advice and destroy the Replicators while they have a chance. Surely he has proven his word and deeds time and time again? To doubt seems foolish, yet since my husband remains quiet, I will too. I am new to SG-1 so I must learn the proper way of it.

Major Carter and O'Neill's banter I do understand short lived as the exchange had become.

"Unscheduled off world activation," we heard and rise as the sirens sound. We find the iris will not close and then the power went off in the base. Like the Tau'ri around us we believe an attack is forthcoming and seek how we may arm ourselves when the Chappa'ai comes to life and Thor walks among us once more.

I wonder as I listen to O'Neill and Thor speak if I will ever get to understand the man who leads the fight against the Goa'uld. His humor I believe I can discern from facts he might speak, but finding the humor of his words will take time.

"Perhaps I should go with her as well," the words spill out of my mouth before my brain catches up to remind me of my standing with SG-1. I am new and should wait until I am addressed first. I do see O'Neill and General Hammond are relieved with my words so shame does not cover me.

Neither wants Major Carter to go off by herself with Thor to a war zone. Yet no-one else on SG-1 really could be sent along, not with our experience and threat of the Replicators here on their homeworld.

Teal'c bows to me and I him, it is the only manner of parting we might share before Thor opens the Chappa'ai again and we follow him through.

Major Carter seems surprise that the Asgard named their latest warship after O'Neill. It makes perfect sense to me. He is a great warrior and has done much for many people. If one is to name something to symbolize one's last best hope, O'Neill is a natural choice.

There is much I don't understand, but neither does Major Carter it appears. I will say that their food is not fit for Jaffa, especially the yellow ones. It does prompt my tongue to talk before prudence stills it.

"Why not make Tau'ri food?" Thor looks at me oddly as does Major Carter, felt backed into a corner I push on where perhaps I should have fallen back, "You can make this with magic...with technology," I see Major Carter's correction gaze and follow it, "That means you can make many things, perhaps anything. Why not make food that is from either of our worlds?"

While they look at me in surprise another thought comes, one related to the yellow things Thor likes but we find not to our liking. "Can they be poisoned?"

"What? Drey'auc they're not alive in the sense of you or me," Major Carter begins but stops as Thor raises a hand.

"You mean introduce some substance that will impair their system's function?" Thor asks and Major Carter changes her expression to one I have seen when she is contemplating her alternatives.

"You mention they are what they eat right?" Major Carter asks and Thor nods, "What if you got them to consume materials that would either hamper their function or make them easier to fight against?"

Since he had no eyebrows I had only the feeling the non-existent ones went up. "It would mean retooling what we make and then sacrificing it to the Replicators..."

"But they would be weakened Replicators!" Major Carter stressed.

"We could change the tide of the war if we implement this tactic correctly," Thor said, "But that will not stop the Replicators heading this way now."

Major Carter looks at me, and then back at Thor, "Well I do have an idea about that. It also requires a sacrifice, but it should stop -these- Replicators."

Sha're's story

Following Sara when the lights go out I recall the words Jack had said to her regarding Drey'auc and now how they apply to me. We are to find my hand of the gods and I am to wear it until the emergency is over. Above all stick together, I am not to leave Sara's side and she his not to leave mine. It feels odd and unsettling to not have Drey'auc with us. I have looked to her so much as a protector since my freedom from my demon to have her not here makes me feel vulnerable.

Yet with the Goa'kesh'sha upon my hand I feel something else. It is not quite power, it is more responsibility. I must look after Sara. Jack would be devastated if she were to be harmed or lost to him. I would not like to lose her either, but I must not think of myself. That is the secret, this is how Drey'auc must do it. She does not think of herself when she's looking after Sara and I, she's thinking of us.

Lights come back up and we're on our way back to the vault where my Goa'kesh'sha is stored when Jack catches up to us. "There you two are. Come on kids, you're wanted at the principle's office." It has to be one of Jack's jokes again from the way Sara is rolling her eyes.

"Shouldn't I..." Jack cuts me off, "Bring along the ribbon thingie. We might need it to save the world...again."

I don't fully understand what he means until later. Now I find myself on a Tau'ri plane heading off to see a Tau'ri sea, but not alone of course. Sara stays behind, but Jack, Teal'c and my Dan'yel come along as well as Chris and Buck of SG-7. Apparently they have been in what is called a Na'vy and we need their experience as Na'vy Seals just as we need our experience fighting the Replicators. Which is why I am along and with my Goa'kesh'sha.

Dan'yel does not like it, I can tell, but he will not bring up this dislike. He does not want to argue and this time he is angry at Jack and not me for this time out where we must fight. I feel I should explain Jack's decision that I too had fought and well the Replicators, but shamefully the words die on my lips. I do not what my Dan'yel angry at me.

Major Davis told us that we will be meeting a Commander Nath'an Brid'ger as our lee-a-zon from the Na'vy. He is there to greet us along with Chief Crock'er to lead us to a command center of sorts.

"These helmets have cameras on them," Nath'an explained, as Major Davis showed us in and Chief Crock'er handed them to Jack, Teal'c, Chris and Buck. Dan'yel is not happy about being left out, I can tell, but as I am also left out he is not complaining. If he complains too much he must imagine I too will be asked to act.

As it is we will be 'back-up'. We are to head to the sub-ma-reen's entrance if the Replicators get past the members of SG-1 and 7 who are going in.

I hope we are not needed.

They talk much though quietly when they see the different colored Replicators. I immediately see what the larger one is even before O'Neill divines that is it a queen. Like the Goa'uld this one makes more of itself. They are spotted and barely make it out alive as they fire and cover each other's retreat in a manner that impresses me over anything I have seen with even my demon's elite Jaffa.

"Let's go!" Dan'yel says to me and my hand is in his as we make our way to this sub-ma-reen. I understand why he wants me to go along and in that moment I am proud of my husband. He still wants me protected, he runs ahead to make sure of that, but he will not deny that I can be of use to help our friends.

I see why immediately as they approach the hatch and Replicators chase them. Chief Crock'er yells, "Make a hole!" and the SG teams climbing the ladder press themselves against it giving me a clear path to blast the Replicators and give the teams time to finish their climb.

Why Chief Crock'er believes himself condemned I do not know. Dan'yel will explain later. He had whispered it in a kind of awe seeing me use my hand of the gods so it must have something to do with that.

"You realize what you've just seen is classified Chief," Chris says as we return to the warehouse. His tone is one I have heard Jack use often as well as my father when authority is exercised and no questions are entertained.

"Just what was that?" Nath'an Brid'ger asks upon our return and Chris looks at him with a different gaze than he did Chief Crock'er. This one was meeting of equals instead of assuring one below one's station, "Classified Commander. You'll have to ask the liaison to the SGC, Rear Admiral Noyce."

"Alright, Captain Larabee, I may just do that," I see Nath'an does not back down from merely a threat and I get from the exchange of ranks Chris is higher than Nath'an's, yet treats him as an equal. It is most puzzling.

"Teal'c, Buck, you two are hurt," I am ashamed to say I only just noticed and Major Davis goes to get Jan'et while I slip off my Goa'kesh'sha to slip on Ka'kesh'prim'ta. Buck is easy to heal, though tiring, Teal'c not so much.

"There is something -in- you Teal'c, it will have to come out before this will work," I tell him as I hear Nath'an ask what am I doing, and how. I hear Chris tell him classified again as Jan'et rushes over.

"Well you've taken care of Commander Wilmington here, now let's look at Mr. Teal'c," Jan'et begins as I step to the side to both recover and be ready. Dan'yel is there to make sure no one bothers me, especially the Na'vy men who have questions I can almost see on their lips.

Healing Teal'c I miss out on the conversation Dan'yel has with the others about what was taken out of Teal'c. I do not know the significance of corroded, but it seems to relax everyone about how to get rid of the Replicators until Dan'yel mentions the one from Thor's ship must be destroyed or this begins again.

It is hard to stay and stare at the hatch Jack, Teal'c, Chris and Buck went down. I have Tau'ri guards, mostly from the Na'vy here beside me. Lead by Chief Crock'er with orders to shoot what I miss. My Goa'kesh'sha is on my hand once more and we wait. We hope the four who have gone down in are four who come back out.

When the sub-ma-reen starts to sink into the waters and move away, Chief Crock'er leads me back to the warehouse where I hear Jack yelling to shoot the sub-ma-reen. He is still on it!

We listen to him practically beg, yelling over and over again to shoot as more Replicators than they have bullets come at them. I want to turn away when I see a helmet fall and it face Jack as the Replicators swarm over them, but I cannot look away. A great man, a man my demon and some Jaffa have quietly called Shalok-Gul, Killer of Gods, a phrase that it is forbidden ever to speak, about to die. I will not look away.

Dan'yel is the first to realize what just happened as white light filled the chamber before the cameras fell to static.

Sara's addendum

The big lug ought to be happy to just be alive! Teleported by the Asgard as the Replicators swarmed over him, Teal'c, Chris and Buck. Talk about last minute rescues for crying out loud!

However, I guess if -I- had an alien species name a new class of ship after me I might be tempted to put up a show if it was blown up before I even got to see it. He is making a show of glaring at Sam for blowing up 'his' ship. Who cares if it stopped the Replicators as it was bait for their trap?

Commander Bridger let us know that diving teams found no trace of Replicators, Thor says the Replicators had been stopped and now they have a strategy for slowing them down courtesy of Drey'auc. She's beaming, proud of what she's done and has her loom of doom down in heels and gown ensemble, and against all odds we actually made it to the reservations Jack had made earlier to day to celebrate Drey'auc now officially on SG-1. All in all, a very nice day with nice victories, big and small.


	2. Other Sides

Other Sides

Sara's diary

It was one of those things I think about in the dead of night. Well, before Jack and I shared a bed again. He made it very easy to shake off the days worry, snuggle up and let sleep carry me away...when other things we did in bed didn't occupy our time.

I remember the first time I thought about it, after finding out about the Stargate, and the Iris. I hadn't been part of the SGC in the early days, not right after the trip to Chulak. Apophis had sent Jaffa after Jaffa through the gate not knowing or possibly caring about the iris. My thought had been what if someone friendly simply didn't know about the iris? They would dial up our address and walk through not thinking it would be to their death.

What if the Cimmerians had tried to come through instead of throwing that Sagan box through as they were told to do? That woman Gairwyn or any number of Cimmerian refugees trying to escape the Goa'uld invasion could have just died against the iris.

That's what happened today at the SGC. Three dead from a world desperate and hoping we could help them.

It was one of those situations I wish we could send SG-9 instead of Jack's team. Not just because to keep Jack safe, though that selfish impulse did crop up, I just think we really need diplomats to explain why three from Euronda base are dead. But SG-9 isn't here, they're off working out the latest details regarding the alliance with the Re'tu.

I sure hope they don't ask for me to come join them, though it would be good to see Charlie and Charlene again.

So Sha're and I are there in the locker room to see Drey'auc off. Though she's now part of SG-1, this had been sort of an informal ritual of seeing her off when she got to go out with the team before joining them officially. I suppose we should include Sam and make it a girl's send-off custom or something.

Custom...I think I've been hanging out too long with a certain neighbor and her archeological son.

Of course learning customs, Jaffa in particular, has been my job for the last three years so I suppose I can't blame either Jackson for having such words as 'custom' rub off on me.

Which reminds me, I'm due to give a briefing on Jaffa customs to SG-12 and the new member of SG-3 asked if I could help bring him up to speed with the rest of his unit on Jaffa. I have to admit, Second Lieutenant Aiden Ford seems eager, yet not overly so.

Unlike our Drey'auc who always seems calm, even when she was learning to cook in a Tau'ri kitchen and burning the bread. She was a whole lot calmer than when Sha're seemed to repeat the event when she wanted to learn how to cook Tau'ri style.

We're sort of silent today as we flank Drey'auc, and I'm not really sure why. I suppose we don't need words, though a touch here and there seems to say be careful and all. Its funny for both Sha're and I to say that about Drey'auc. She's the one who can eat a marine for breakfast and has looked after us during threat situations. I know she and Sha're are particularly close and not just because they're the two 'aliens' either.

It took a while but I heard about the trip to Cimmeria to get Amonet out of her. How Drey'auc helped keep her warm and going afterwards until the SG teams met up with them. That's something that would forge a bond, not that either of them make me feel excluded, in fact it's hard to think of a time I didn't know either Drey'auc or Sha're.

Hard to think of a time when I wasn't involved in all the craziness of being part of the SGC.

Drey'auc's Day

Upon our exit of the Chappa'ai, SG-6 is needed as the one calling himself Alar is injured. Doctors Beach and Kerr tend to him as we look around the chamber that has seen better times and rains dust and debris intermittently.

It is a chamber that soon has defenders swarming to it, to find we are ready for them. My husband and I have our Zat'nik'tels ready, SG-1 and the two others of SG-6 their weapons drawn. The injured one who calls himself Alar quickly makes sure neither side has reason to attack by his announcement of a kinship with us.

"Be at ease, Drey'auc," my husband whispers to me as we follow them to a place to tend to Alar.

"Do you not see how they look at us?" I point out to him needlessly as few things escape my husband's attention.

"Did you think all the galaxy would welcome the Jaffa into their homes?" his joke puts me at ease, more than his admonishing earlier. It is times like this I do not see how the Tau'ri does not find him as humorous as I have found him to be. However I keep our honor in tack by not laughing out loud. It would not do well for these humans to see the Jaffa as frivolous.

Indeed the more I think of it, the more I have to wonder why I am at unease. The Jaffa are known far and wide as the servants of the Goa'uld. Why should not any human be wary around us, and give us additional scrutiny than other fellow humans?

And yet I sense it is something else. Something that has nothing to do with us being Jaffa. As the talks go on we find out they have no knowledge of the Jaffa, robbing either Teal'c's or my explanation for their extra regard of us.

Their demonstration of technology is impressive, though I am angered by their lack of warning to O'Neill that it might hurt him. Alar's words seem slick and oily with his assurances that only once will not arm one.

"Be at ease, Drey'auc," my husband repeats as he noticed my ire growing. Calm, I seek the calm yet not so much to enter Kel no'reem. We are in a war zone and so such meditative state could prove fatal.

We do not join in the toast and Alar is the one ill at ease with my husband's explanation. I am finding Alar has words that Sara would say full of heated air. I do not see why the others notice he is not a worthy ally.

All but Doctor Jackson who tries to make O'Neill see, to look beyond their trinkets and gifts to something I wish I could put into words, but screams a warning about these people. My mother would say it is the manner of women to sense what his not said that the manner of men must see with their own eyes before they are believed.

Yet it does not seem as if Major Carter sees this warning either. Perhaps the Tau'ri really are different when it comes to some things.

She and Doctor Jackson depart, we follow O'Neill to where Alar is and then I watch the two of them get into the very machines that they were told could harm them if used too long.

Men.

It is when they are drinking about victory again that I see my husband starting to notice that something is wrong with these people. I resist the urge to tell him to be at ease, now is not the time.

Yet O'Neill remains unconvinced of the trouble to come arguing more with the returned Daniel Jackson. Why does he not see? I cannot believe he is consumed with greed for the Eurondans that he cannot see they are not what they seem to be.

Finally Alar makes a slip even any man could tell when he asks O'Neill that neither of us return as he walks us to the Chappa'ai. He does not know the Jaffa, yet he singles us out. I do not know the reason but it might be that he knows we suspect him.

I found later it was nothing of the sort.

We gladly follow O'Neill to try and find evidence to confirm our suspicions as he sends Doctor Jackson off to find ask more questions.

Finally he asks my husband, who can at least confirm he too believes Alar is hiding something.

"And you Drey'auc?"

"Like my husband, I agree he conceals something and I think it has something to do with us. Perhaps he really does know of the Jaffa regardless of his words?" it would have been one way to explain their behavior, "They keep looking us, all of them."

"All of them? Teal'c?"

"It is as Drey'auc says O'Neill since we have arrived, all of the Eurondans have looked at us strangely."

"Maybe there is a snake head around here somewhere anyway," O'Neill mutters before we break into the stasis chamber we were shown earlier.

I admit while looking at the other side of O'Neill I did not spot what he did and from my husband's look he did not either.

Nor did he asks, so I decide to, "What do you mean, O'Neill? All the same? They look different to me."

"They're all one race," a statement that causes Teal'c and I to exchange another mystified look.

"They do appear all human," Teal'c ventures as the closest he will come to asking outright so far.

Apparently O'Neill notices that as well and stops as he was striding out of the stasis chamber. "They're clansmen, triple Ks, white sheets, pointy hoods, good old boys..." again we exchange a look, sometimes O'Neill's speech is too puzzling to understand.

He doesn't explain a word further leaving both my husband and I to catch up to him physically as we are trying to mentally.

Daniel Jackson does not enlighten us when we meet, other than to enlarge the mystery of what they are hiding. "They did it. They started the war. I don't know how they did it but they did."

That is enough for me, "We should go. Leave them to their problems."

"That's good enough for me," O'Neill says, and then looks to Doctor Jackson, "Daniel?" Who nods and again we found ourselves following O'Neill at a rapid pace to likely go get Major Carter.

O'Neill is up to something, I can tell when he suddenly volunteers to help when I know he was upset after the last time. I will stand by and wait as my husband joins him without hesitation as I would if he called me and I knew how to fly.

Something I will ask Teal'c about later.

I do watch Alar as whatever plan O'Neill has is going on, one these Eurondans catch on while Alar blathers on to explain how his people started the war with something called Breeders. I do not recognize the race but it does not matter. He has shown his people are no better than the false gods, than the Goa'uld.

When they discover how O'Neill and my husband have lead the enemy bombers in to strike Alar pulls a weapon that I immediately relieve him of. They should have not ceased watching me thinking me not worthy of their attention instead of Doctor Jackson or Major Carter.

Again O'Neill shows his enemies how they are unwise to face against him. The bombers have found this place and now more than dust rains down as pillars and beams give way to the destruction overhead.

Our retreat is uncontested save we are followed by Alar. O'Neill warns him not to follow but we hear how he did not heed O'Neill as the telltale sound of an impact is heard from the iris.

General Hammond is disappointed, and is looking forward to an explanation at the briefing. We, however seek one more immediately.

"O'Neill you said they are all the same and that seemed to be the reason they distrusted us," Teal'c meant himself and I of course. O'Neill opened his mouth to speak, likely more words incomprehensible when Daniel Jackson enlightened us.

"Color of your skin," Daniel says with a certain manner of disgust that now shows on Major Carter's face.

"They're bigots," she says unbelieving.

"The master race themselves, goose-stepping their way over everyone on their world who didn't fit in with what they thought should fit," this time it is too easy to guess O'Neill's meaning.

"So not because we are Jaffa, or even not of their world, but the fact our skin is a different hue. Not even the Goa'uld are so foolish save by whim. You were right to do what you did O'Neill," my husband said much, and he also spoke all there needed to be on the subject.

Sha're's Story

"You should not blame yourself, Dan'yel," I try again to explain as we arrive home. I suppose we should have stayed on base as this house was once Jack's. It must remind him of the fight he had with Jack when they were off world.

"You tried to explain to Jack that he moved too quickly," I have seen that before when my father advised caution when our people had to mine for Ra. Too soon down a tunnel, not sure enough and it falls in upon them. Not that our so-called god cared. Only the rock for his power.

"I should have noticed how they looked at Linda and Brendan," my Dan'yel now takes blame for something else on their mission.

"They remained with the supplies and near the gate, and it is natural for some to be wary of the Jaffa," speaking so about my friends Drey'auc and Teal'c feels so wrong, but my husband knows I am right, "You know I am right, Dan'yel."

Accepting the invitation of his arms, I lay my head upon his chest, our arms wrapped around each other, knowing my whispered words are still heard, "You see so much my husband, but no-one can see everything. It is enough you warned Jack and know you stood by that warning no matter how much Jack wanted to make an alliance with the wrong people."

"I should call him, shouldn't I?" hearing his words I know it is not really a question, not of the words themselves, as he really is asking me when he should call Jack.

"Yes, you should my husband," come the words which will mean he will shortly remove his arms from around me, for now I look up and rest my chin upon his chest, "Did not one of your books say do not let the sun go down on your anger?"

Seeing his smile finally was as if the sun had just come up, hearing the smile in his words brings one to my lips, "I think I recall those words."

"It was after our first fight," I remind him, knowing his smile will grow and was rewarded with the reality of my forethought, just as I know his correction will come next.

"After our first major fight," he speaks as I expect, "We did not always agree, but until then we never disagreed so loudly."

"We woke up my father who was ready to tell me to be good and listen to my husband," which is the way of our people, not that my Dan'yel ever followed such ways, "Yet you defended my...right to speak to you so."

"Yes, where I said your happiness was more important to me than being right," and I know that was all my Dan'yel will say on that subject, as to this day neither of us wishes to bring up who was right or wrong then. I do not think either of us even remembers what that argument was about.

Sara's Summary

Jack just lay there all last night staring up at the ceiling. I think part of it was his fight with Daniel. No-one likes to find out they're wrong, Jack no more than anyone else. Finding out Daniel was right and we nearly helped a bunch of white supremist wipe out the rest of the races of their world would be a bitter pill to swallow. However I think it was more than that.

I think it had something to do with the final sound we heard against the iris after Jack walked through. The sound is rather unmistaken able and from the fact he didn't talk about it afterwards I can only imagine who it must have been that died right behind him.

I'm sure my Jack warned whomever that had been, but they didn't listen and Jack didn't care. I remember some of the looks Jack had coming home from a mission in his black ops days. We still don't talk about them, not really. But he had that look, the one where he knew he killed even if he didn't fire the gun that did the killing.

Jack isn't a mindless killer. Whoever died, and I think Sam knows who it was, he was the kind Jack thought deserving of death. Jack doesn't have a problem with putting someone down who needs to go down. I suppose you don't wear the uniform for so long as he does and be on the front lines to have such difficulties.

So whether by a bullet from his gun or closing the iris behind himself, Jack doesn't have a problem with it.

I have to wonder what that says about me. What kind of woman am I to love a man like that? And I do love him, there isn't a doubt in my mind about that. I don't have a problem with what he does and trust when he does it its all for the right reasons. I know that's true too.

After all, I didn't have problems sleeping last night snuggled up next to him, did I?


	3. Upgrades 20

Upgrades 2.0

Sara's diary

It started out innocently enough. I know I should have seen the hook that came with this tempting bait, but one of the fringe benefits likely distracted both Sha're and myself. Though really I should backtrack a bit. It is hard not to think of those benefits, I don't think I'll ever forget what the armbands let Jack do in bed.

However the rest of what Jack, Daniel and Sam were good reasons why I'm glad the armbands are gone.

Jack called it again when he said the Tok'ra were going to be trouble. I think we dismissed it as Jack being Jack, regarding them. Granted they haven't had a stellar record with us, but it's not like we're perfect either. If all of humanity was tarred with the same brush as the NID, twice, then it would be about as fair to keep doing the same to the Tok'ra.

The fact Kosh came with them should have been warning enough. Everyone remembers what he did for Sha're and Daniel during the Goa'uld summit, but otherwise it seems like every time he shows up it's a harbinger of doom. A bit melodramatic I admit, yet it does seem true.

My wedding being the exception of course.

Kosh followed the party of five Tok'ra came through the gate that day. Martouf, Ma'chello and Linea everyone knew, only a few had met Anise before, but the fifth one was new to me. I wasn't down at the ramp with the boys and Sam, but I clearly saw Linea and Anise were staring daggers at each other until they arrived at the bottom of the ramp where she was officially introduced to the gang. From the smirk going on, I can tell Jack was in form and likely cracked more than one joke down there.

I'm sure at least one Gandalf remark was thrown Kosh's way, Jack's been apt to call Kosh that nowadays.

As soon as Sha're heard Linea was here she showed up to try and catch up with her friend, but they didn't have long before the gang met with General Hammond to discuss just why the Tok'ra were here and what was in the large box that fifth Tok'ra carried.

"So did she say what was in the box?" trying to fish for information as we took a break in the commissary, I could tell Sha're wanted to be in that meeting and the both of us felt the absence of Drey'auc who did attend now that she's part of SG-1.

"We didn't really have that much time to talk about that, Sara," came the disappointing reply, but she wasn't finished yet, "She thinks this Anise is moving too fast and she's proud of the fact she thinks this way. Oh Sara, she has made so much progress from her inner demon." And I knew this time Sha're didn't mean the symbiote Linea had as a kind of mutual watchdog against what she once was, but the woman who was once known as the Destroyer of Worlds.

Sha're was too happy for her friend for me to push any further about why the Tok'ra were here. In hindsight, I should have.

Drey'auc's day

From Kosh Naranek's phrase "Legacy of the Atoneeks," I felt no good would come of this. They were the only words Kosh Naranek spoke during the meeting where the Tok'ra were mixed about their views concerning the armbands of a people known only as the Atoneeks.

Ma'chello was excited about how these could be used against the Goa'uld, Anise impatient and wishing to get this started, while Linea was the voice of caution surprising more than one. O'Neill still does not trust her so that put him more on Anise's side of the argument though I believe he too believes caution should be the approach to these devices.

Indeed she is not, as Sara would put it, earning many points right now as she has expressed obvious interest in Daniel Jackson. While I know with the people of Abydos multiple wives are apart of her culture, she has grown more to be like the women of the Tau'ri and share their husband with no other woman.

She is very circumspect about how neither my husband nor I could be of help with the test she wishes to conduct, while Ma'chello comes right out and admit it is due to the symbiote we carry and why this will not work with any the Tok'ra. A fact that frustrates Ma'chello as he wishes to aggressively pursue his war against the Goa'uld.

I recall one argument on our way to the meeting room Teal'c and I overheard Anise suggest Ma'chello might want to stay with the Tau'ri since the Tok'ra's ways are too slow and subtle for him. Martouf suggested in his quiet manner that this should be a discussion for another time.

This may be something O'Neill or General Hammond may wish to know about. I will ask Teal'c later who we should approach if he has not decided already.

It turns out to be General Hammond we meet with after Teal'c has mentioned to O'Neill.

"So you think he might want to defect from the Tok'ra?" General Hammond's tone is not one of disbelief to my ears, but of a man who wishes clarification, or confirmation, which my husband provides the latter, I decide to address the former.

"He believes the Tok'ra are not aggressive enough with their approach to fighting the Goa'uld and wants to see results instead of just talk and skulking about. He sees the Tau'ri as those who fight and not just plan to fight."

"You do not know that Drey'auc," comes the rebuke from Teal'c we will discuss later.

However I do not leave the challenge unaccepted, turning to him to speak, "He wants to fight just as you do my husband, and just as I do. He believes the Tok'ra's ways are too slow and secretive. It is plain upon his face and in his heart."

"Well until he actually says something, I think anything else would be premature at this time," General Hammond closes the subject and this discussion in one sentence. At least here, likely Teal'c and I will talk later, though something in his eyes says it will be about how proud he is I spoke up rather than my disagreeing with him in public.

We certainly leave General Hammond's office in the Tau'ri manner of hand in hand. It is not something that comes easily to him, and when it does I find myself, despite the alien manner of expressing affection, once again back to the days when we first met and grew to love one another.

Parting he bows, leaving me to the training session with the women of the base who wish to join me in what I have overheard Sara say more than once as 'Jaffacise.'

Teal'c was already in the infirmary by the time I heard of the accident between him and O'Neill. Janet and Sha're were there as Sara and I arrived, and my husband started to wake up. O'Neill has on the protective garb he wears when they perform the combat ritual of 'boxing.' Though Sara has still failed to explain why the combat exercise has anything to do with a box. They store nothing in one during their fight, nor do they fight in a cage as some of the Tau'ri wresters do in a ring which is actually a square.

Clearly something is wrong, nor am I the only one to think so. Janet Frasier believes so and what really should worry others is Linea believes so. Ma'chello looks torn about the subject, he is clearly interested with how O'Neill was able to defeat a strong Jaffa as my Teal'c but is concerned on what this armband is doing to him. Considering what happened with the mind swapping machine of his when we first met, this is commendable that he is showing concern now.

I know my husband would not wish me to show too much concern in the presence of the others, but still I find myself sharing a lingering look into his eyes that says much of how he really feels. This and a touch to his arm will have to suffice until the others depart.

"One blow," Teal'c said after they left rather quickly due to an incoming wormhole alert at the Chappa'ai. At first I am unsure what he meant and he caught that, my eyes flickering to a spot further down the sheets covering him. When my eyes rejoin his we share a smile about our shared jest of deliberately misunderstanding some of the words of the Tau'ri, and so my husband elaborates as if we had an audience, "O'Neill felled me with one strike."

All thoughts of Tau'ri innuendos and provocative word-plays depart as I hear the impossible, and thereby miss the announcement of a new arrival, Narim from the Tollan of whom Ma'chello had called in for an independent observer. I also do not hear the objections from Anise or accusations of going behind her back. Those I will hear repeated to me the next morning when I meet with Sara and Sha're.

Sha're and Sara do seemed weary and yet very satisfied when we meet. Daniel Jackson has joined Samantha Carter and O'Neill with wearing them and instead of sharing my concerns they seem reluctant as the wearers for them to remove the armband.

Both of them had remained on base with their husbands overnight, which is as it should be, but the impression I perceived is that sleep is not something either of them indulged much in during the night. For once the men look more rested than the women the next morning.

Except in Major Carter's case, with Narim and Martouf appearing fatigue, the Tollan more so than the Tok'ra. All three apparently do not look each other in the eyes through breakfast. It is quite the contrary to O'Neill and Sara or Daniel Jackson and Sha're. While the men do not join us until we have already begun our breakfast, their hands find their mate's and do not let go for the rest of our meal. Fortunately Teal'c came to my rescue joining us.

Whatever was scheduled that morning was changed by a summons of both Doctor Frasier and Linea, who were joined by Maureen Robinson. I did not understand most of what they were talking about save the armbands released a virus into the wearer's bodies and that it was a danger to them. It was time to take them off despite the objections of Anise.

However they wouldn't come off, and while the Tollan technology or some kind of amputation surgery by the Tau'ri could remove them, Linea has revealed their bodies have become dependent on what the armbands continue to give them.

"It is clear they have benefits, but are lacking in control," Teal'c tells me at lunch, since the bands will not come off SG-1 has been placed on off-duty status indefinitely. Unlike other days neither Sara nor Sha're join me for lunch, however O'Neill and Daniel Jackson have not met up with Teal'c for lunch either. They are conspicuously absent and I hear from Doctor Frasier who does join us that they decided to take their lunch break in their on base rooms.

Why Janet Frasier looks uncomfortable saying this I do not know, but suspect much as she quickly changes the subject and is further saved by Maureen Robinson joining us, then Linea and finally an unhappy Anise.

However I guess wrong about why she is unhappy. "She is with him right now," I hear her mutter with a temper one couldn't mistake as anything but jealousy. Indeed she continues her internal dialogue slipping in and out of the voice of her symbiote with the rest of us catching only snatches of names, 'Daniel' in Anise's voice, 'O'Neill' in Freya's voice. Apparently the first statement we overheard applied to both men but separately by symbiote and host.

The afternoon takes a turn for the worse with an accident. One of O'Neill's making...again. This time he accidentally patted Sergeant Silar too hard on the back and toppled him over a railing. Sha're is with Janet Frasier to correct the damage and accelerate his healing or at least minimize his suffering.

I am not surprise to find the three fellow members of SG-1 put under guard by General Hammond. I am surprised the next day to find they had left in the evening to go to O'Malley's without permission.

Immediately I find myself having to school my face to stoicism for our reputation's sake as I see the joke in my husbands eyes that does not reach his lips, 'And they did not ask us to go with them.' I know I found it funny at the very least.

Alternately, Doctor Frasier, Maureen Robinson, Linea and Ma'chello explain what is happening to their bodies and how it is becoming life threatening. Options are discussed when Anise joins the meeting sharing she has been in contact with the Tok'ra High Council.

I notice a look shared by Martouf and Linea, Ma'chello seems oblivious to what the two seem to have figured out. Watching them instead of Anise as she explains about a new battleship reveals to me that they are displeased with the information she was sharing, but not the fact she was sharing it.

"You've known all along," General Hammond says out loud the thought that is in many eyes at this meeting. Ma'chello seems surprised by this revelation, Linea angry and Martouf embarrassed.

"Why wasn't I told about this?" Ma'chello asked testily, he still treats his younger body as if he were an old man, complete with the way an old man talks. I see his temper rising, all of us do, and one look in his eyes tells me why. He didn't take Linea's fountain of youth as Sara calls it because he wants to live forever, he did not have a robot duplicate made of himself at Harlan's world to achieve a kind of immortality, nor take a Tok'ra symbiote merely to prolong his life.

He lives only to kill the Goa'uld and everything else is secondary to that goal.

"Our team wouldn't have failed if I had been told. We could have had my inventions to prepare them..." clearly he was going on a tirade when Anise interrupted.

"It was decided that perhaps you should focus more on research and less on strategic or tactical planning." Her words failing to mollify him, but did succeed from halting any progress in the promised oration that had been in his voice earlier.

"Only if that research is used to kill Goa'uld that I care."

"You should stick to what is important to the Tok'ra like a Sarcophagus we can use. Our numbers thin over the years..." Anise began with what to my ears sound of an old argument.

"The only thing that matters is that -THEY- die! No you! Not me! Not anything else, but their deaths!" he was heavy of breath when he finished, nose to nose with Anise when General Hammond took control of the meeting back.

"We're finished here people. I think everyone needs time to cool off," he began and Freya assumes control of the body to quietly explain to see her words fall upon unbelieving ears of the General who then dismisses O'Neill, Major Carter and Doctor Jackson to the 'lock up' the Tok'ra to another room signaling Narim, Kosh Naranek, Teal'c and I to remain.

Showing us the image of the battlecruiser prompts Kosh Naranek to speak first. "It is a danger. It should be destroyed."

"This new vessel has several advancements over the Goa'uld mother ships we have previously engaged in battle. We must stop its completion," my husband says as if the words of a Vorlon are not enough, which might be the case with the Tau'ri.

"I can't send the rest of SG-1 on such a dangerous mission knowing their judgment is impaired," General Hammond equally states the obvious. It is my turn.

"We will go alone then, General Hammond." To his credit, General Hammond looks upon my husband and I as if he is actually considering the suggestion.

"General, the Tollan people cannot officially take part in this, but I agree with Emissary Kosh, this is far an above what other Goa'uld have available. It should be stopped now and not wait until it is operational." I think the Tollan surprised more than myself from the looks the others gave him.

"If I can help, I would like to. Unofficially of course," he finished with a shy smile that I can see why Samantha Carter is attracted to him. There is a quiet and unassuming strength to this Tollan.

Discerning something else regarding Narim and Samantha Carter I share my belief with the others, "We may also count on Martouf to help us regardless of what the High Council say."

From the sparkle in General Hammond's eyes I believe he knows why I said what I had, the gleam is gone a moment later. "If I had any other teams to send I'd send them because I agree. This needs to be attended to, but at the moment, not even my preferred two teams on stand-by is something I have an option to send. I can see if Moonbase Alpha can transition to that planet's orbit..."

"The planet has no moon," Kosh Naranek shares and I begin to really worry as it is said a Vorlon is rarely straight and to the point. Kosh Naranek has been so twice in the same day.

Looking form face to face, iris in the case of Kosh Naranek, General Hammond slowly shakes his head, "I'm sorry people, but according to the Tok'ra intelligence, the Gate on that planet is heavily guarded. I can't in good conscious send all of you into that."

"We must not allow Apophis complete this vessel," my husband protests to General Hammond who turns and looks him directly into his eyes.

"Let's say I agree, Teal'c. Prove to me it isn't a suicide mission."

My husband inclines his head, turns and leaves, while I follow to find I am not the only one. The other's trust in Teal'c makes my own heart swell with pride. My husband has even a Vorlon following after him with such trust.

I admit surprise that his goal was to find Sha're.

Sha're's story

"So you wish me to join you using the Hand of the Gods to assist you?" I hope Teal'c does not think I am a timid or stupid woman to ask the obvious when he just plainly asked me to help. I can see this was not taken lightly and as I see Kosh with him, along with Narim I feel how serious this is.

"You are right, Dan'yel is not himself. I should have seen that a while ago, but..." I hope they cannot tell I am blushing, for I feel the flush upon my face as I turn away.

Though not so fast to not catch that Narim too blushes and turns away, his hue of skin making the act impossible to hide as it might with me, Teal'c or Drey'auc. It seems Saman'tha has let him experience what else the armbands can do just as my Dan'yel has shown me many hours in bed.

I feel my blush deepen as I try not to think of why both Martouf and Narim are here. On Abydos a man may have more than one wife, but the reverse is never true. Perhaps the Tau'ri have a different custom Saman'tha is considering.

"Sha're Jackson," I hear Teal'c's words drag me back to the present and I hope the remains of the blush are gone by the time I turn to face him.

"I understand Teal'c, I will come with you." I know how important this must be for him to come and ask me. Both Teal'c and Drey'auc have been so protective of me, neither would ask me to go in the way of danger unless he had no choice. He risked so much to save me, how could I not help him?

There is just one thing I do want to know. I suspect it, but I really want to know. "This is because Dan'yel can't be sent isn't it?"

"Yes, Sha're. It is why we must try or it would be the worse for everyone if we wait," Teal'c answers me, "There is no-one else to send. If it is not us, it will be no-one.

"And Apophis will be victorious," I complete his thought but not at him. My eyes look past him seeing, remembering. I feel Linea's hand on my shoulder as she realizes where I am now, back with Apophis, my demon in control of my actions.

Dan'yel has spoken of being so angry one 'sees red' and up until now I did not fully understand, but as I think back to Apophis and all he and Amonet did ... I do not even realize I had stood up, my first shaking.

"He must not win," I hiss and Teal'c brings me around to look into his eyes, to rejoin the present once more.

"He will not, Sha're Jackson. We will stop him."

Sara and Drey'auc again help me dress in the locker room, Drey'auc checking to see if all parts of my BDU are fastened right, Sara opening the case my Goa'kesh'sha. "I understand SG-2 and 13 are almost finished testing Robby's upgrades. They may be back any moment."

She is trying to encourage me, make me not worry about how few of us are going to destroy Apophis. It is strange to have no-one of the Tau'ri available, but we will still go. The Jaffa, the Tok'ra and myself.

We're delayed on our way to the Gateroom when we come upon an argument among the Tok'ra. "By order of the High Council you know none of you can go, however that order does not apply to me. The Tau'ri have extra Ash'bashaak'tak and Zat'nik'tel for me to use. The Tollan is going, it would be shameful if the Tok'ra do not go along with a mission we asked the Tau'ri to try for us."

"Well...I wish I knew. I might have been able to give you one of the weapons I'm working on," Ma'chello said into the tenseness between Anise and Martouf. I can see Linea might also wants to go, but has no intension, or her symbiote does, of going.

"It is most appreciated Ma'chello. However, as the Tau'ri say, in a perfect world, we would be able to go ourselves, or ask the Re'tu to go. Instead we ask the Tau'ri and expected them to go with an untested artifact that some believe we arranged for them to have just to go on this mission," I only hope that his turning from Ma'chello to speak to Anise will not start their argument again.

I do not have to worry, the alarms begin all around us.

"It begins," Kosh intones and glides ahead of us towards the Gateroom. I'm surprised he leads the way instead of follows, but that is short lived as the blast doors start to close and then reverses. Teal'c seems to sense this was for our benefits and with Zat'nik'tel in hand moves ahead.

All of us are shocked to see Dan'yel, Saman'tha and Jack at the ramp.

"Not this time, Teal'c," I hear Jack say as Dan'yel meets my eyes with both an apology and question in his gaze as he took in my garb and the fact I'm wearing a Goa'kesh'sha. Then all of them speed out of sight through the Chappa'ai.

We start to follow as the Chappa'ai suddenly shuts down and then starts up moments later. It is SG-2 and 13 coming back to help us.

Major Coburn and Will Robinson walk through first followed by Robby, Colonel Dixon, Drs. Venkman, Stantz, Spengler and Krauss in a discussion I think only my Dan'yel could follow. Sergeant Zeddemore and Airmen Bosworth, and Wells bring come last.

"People, I'm glad to see you back, but instead of a stand down I've got to send you out again," General Hammond says once the door controls are regained.

"More than Apophis supership, sir?" Colonel Dixon asks, I guess General Hammond must have sent an update when he request they hurry up with their testing Robby's upgrades.

"SG-1 has gone out against orders and from what Ma'chello and Linea tells me, the bands could come off leaving them compromised at any moment."

I am most surprised by his turning to me, "Mrs. Jackson, I can't in good conscience ask you to go, but I won't turn down your help if you wish to go."

From his eyes flickering to my Goa'kesh'sha I know why he is willing to let me go. He then turns immediately to Will and the other two Airmen, "Robinson, Bosworth, Wells, you three will take MATs and follow Robby through the Gate. Colonel Dixon I don't need to dictate how you and Teal'c conduct this assault. Just let me say that you will follow what Teal'c tells you. This is SG-1's show and as of right now, he and Drey'auc are SG-1."

I know I'm not officially part of SG-1, but it still feels like a slight that I wasn't included. Martouf wasn't either, so I really shouldn't feel any hurt. I must focus on rescuing Dan'yel. That armband could come off at any moment.

"Come on up, Mrs. Robinson, just like before," Will offers his hand after lining up his Mobile Attack Turret up on the ramp. Helping me up, I recall the last time and can't help but smile, "As my Dan'yel would say, we keep meeting like this."

Will rewards me with a laugh, "I hope Dr. Jackson does not think I'm seeing you, Mrs. Jackson." It is a smile he wears until the final symbol on the Chappa'ai is dialed and then we follow Robby through the Gate.

Only to find cubits and cubits spread out before us, Apophis' Jaffa all on the ground. SG-1 made it this far at least.

"Alright, SG-2 and 13 secure the Gate, SG-1, you're a go to go after them," Colonel Dixon orders letting Teal'c lead us off.

Teal'c leads us, Drey'auc follows in the rear, Narim and Martouf place me between them while we follow Teal'c as he tracks the path SG-1 took. It should be an easy thing to do as we seem to just have to follow the bodies.

We should have moved faster, as it was two of Apophis Jaffa had their weapons pointed at Jack and Saman'tha by the time we catch up with them. Teal'c saw the one and took it out, I did not wait for him to hit the second, which meant we both hit him at the same time. That Jaffa went flying, the one previous hit went sliding down the corridor and out of the way.

Drey'auc and Martouf take up watch as I finally saw my husband lying on the ground, "Dan'yel!"

While Teal'c is the one to pull him to his feet, I slip under Dan'yel's arm to support him, "I have you my husband."

"Sha're?" he must still be recovering from whatever happened as he looks mystified as to why I am here in this place, as he might say, 'out of context' to where he normally sees me. "Just taking care of you, my Dan'yel."

"He passed out. His armband came off," Saman'tha explains before I go too far looking for imagined injuries, which is what Saman'tha must have noticed for her to volunteer her explanation.

"Ma'chello says once they run out they come off," Martouf explains as we hear the marching of many of Apophis' guards coming our way.

"All right, talk later, we got to move. Teal'c, get everyone out of here, back through the Gate. Carter, with me," Jack orders before he and Saman'tha speed off.

"Im-important," we hear Dan'yel say as he gropes the empty air in the direction of his backpack, "heavy..."

"They will bring it along my husband, we must go," I assure him as I help him walk while Teal'c and Drey'auc pick up the backpack between them. Briefly I wonder what could be so heavy to require the two of them to carry.

It was only as Martouf and Narim were covering our departure that I noticed Narim had what must be a weapon. A curved, steel gray triangular-shaped weapon. I can see in his face, in both of their faces, a deep concern for Saman'tha. It is why they came, and I believe why they will always come to help where it concerns her.

We are near the exit when Dan'yel becomes coherent enough to speak clearly again. With one glance he asks what any of us should have already, "Where are they?"

"They should have been right behind us…continue on, Drey'auc see that they make it to the Chappa'ai," Teal'c orders as both of the drop the backpack and he starts off back towards the others. Wisely he did not suggest that either Martouf or Narim go with us.

Yet he rushes into a wall of energy. One neither Zat'nik'tel, nor Martouf's Ash'bashaak'tak affect.

"I will go," Narim says and touches his armband, one much different than SG-1's, and taking Martouf's hand the both walk through the wall around the shield and move back into the ship.

"We should wait for them my husband," Drey'auc suggests after one look at my Dan'yel's face. I can see the determination, the desire to want to wait for the others.

"We wait then," is all Teal'c says looking down the way Narim and Martouf left. The minutes seem to pass longer than normal before we see them coming down the corridor. Saman'tha is between the Tok'ra and Tollan as Jack runs ahead and all are about to stop at the where the wall of energy is when everything shakes.

"The C-4," Dan'yel explains after the shaking stops and we cling to each other less fiercely than a heartbeat ago.

Drey'auc and Teal'c take up the backpack again as we move along, two shots from following Jaffa had them about to drop it to fire back when I simply turn and let the hand of the gods send them flying.

"Nice to have on our side," I hear Jack comment as we begin again our trek back to the Chappa'ai. I wonder yet again if I should not try to be more active with the SGC. Perhaps I should consider again the notion that I can fight along side my Dan'yel as Drey'auc does Teal'c.

Doctor Krauss starts to dial the Chappa'ai as soon as we are in sight, with Sergeant Zeddemore rush to us to help Jack, and Drs. Stantz and Spengler help me with my Dan'yel and despite how I do not want to let him go, I am not Jaffa nor Tok'ra, without their strengths, I must relinquish my Dan'yel to them and follow.

"Mrs. Jackson!" I hear Will shout as he hops off his MAT, and runs over to me. Like I with Dan'yel, he slips under my arm to help me up to the Chappa'ai. I only wonder briefly why he abandons his place when I hear Robby say, "Remote control of MAT-1 obtained."

I do not understand what that means exactly, but when it moves without driver I do. Will does wait for it after I pass through the Chappa'ai letting me enter the SGC on my own two feet, unlike most of SG-1.

We do have to continue down off the ramp to make room for the MATs and Robby before I hear Jack, Saman'tha and Dan'yel express their apologies for disobeying General Hammond. I have no idea why they look at Teal'c after they apologize as if he too should say something.

I barely cover my mouth as a giggle escapes upon his speaking, "I have no need to apologize." Drey'auc following him as he walks ahead proudly, a smile on her face as we head to the infirmary.

Sara's summary

Oh I know why Jack wanted to do more than sleep tonight despite how tired he was. He was thinking back to the armbands and wondered how we would be together in bed now that the effects were gone. I'm pleased to let him know as good as every and keep the fact that before it wasn't the quality that the armbands gave, it was the quantity.

It's not every woman who can say her man wore her out after many times in a row.

But that's what this diary is for, to write down what I dare not say. I suppose that's the only reason why I'll actually miss the armbands. Again, not something I'll ever bring up with Jack, and never ever suggest they get new ones. His health, to say nothing of his career, is too important to even hint at it.

But a girl can dream, and that's what fantasies are sometimes about, what you can't have and shouldn't.

Jack is still Jack, and he's all the man I need. Even without the 'upgrades.'

Author's note: Minor crossover with Hellboy 2 as Johann Krauss is part of SG-13. I cover that in another story, but thought I should mention it here just in case people were wondering.


	4. Many Crossroads

Many Crossroads

Sara's diary

Most of the time one thinks of the Jaffa people as a kind of stoic warrior race, kind of a combination of Vulcans and Klingons to reference one of Jack's shows. Well Cassie's too, which reminds me I think we're getting to that time of year she'll drag us to another convention.

Okay drag is a bit harsh, it's not like we don't enjoy them with al the dressing up. Drey'auc had to try and downplay her costume last year after winning events the year before. General Hammond stressed not drawing attention. This year will be Sha're's first and we're not taking no for our annual girls weekend. She's coming and sans Daniel. I went without Jack, Drey'auc went without Teal'c, Raine went without Nathan, so she'll get use to this one tradition of sorts.

Besides, it does the men well to miss us from time to time. I won't comment on how we miss them.

Anyway, back to my recent discovery about Jaffa. A culture that appears on the outside a cold and unfeeling warrior group of people but can be quite passionate about many things.

Like how they feel about their priest. I didn't have a hint of this when Tolok visited from Alpha, but then I hadn't been around anyone he married.

Shaun'auc had been the priestess to preside over Teal'c and Drey'auc's marriage and that was who today's visitor turned out to be, well one of four, the only one we hadn't met yet. Though I am getting ahead of myself, stories are like that, diary entries I suppose are not exempt.

We had been in the control center for Drey'auc's final for testing how to dial up the gate this morning. Teal'c knew how so it was only a matter of time as the newest addition to SG-1 requested she be taught.

An incoming wormhole cut the final short, Walter and his people returned once the alert rang, so Drey'auc and I were behind everyone who was busy typing and pressing whatever buttons that demanded to be pressed or look busy. I did recall one maxim Jack relayed in the military, always look busy.

Guards were in place, Walter announced Bra'tac's IDC, Iris opened, and Bra'tac stepped out. He wasn't alone.

"This can't be good, Gandalf is back," I heard Jack say ahead of Drey'auc and I who were following him to meet Bra'tac now that we knew he was coming. I didn't have to be able to see that he meant Kosh was with him and again I had that harbinger of doom feeling as twice in a short period of time the Vorlon showed up.

Now I shouldn't have been surprised to see Rya'c, since Kheb he's stuck close to his teacher as if the student could protect him.

I suppose I took up a position at Jack's side ready as the cultural attaché job title, but really I just wanted to stand by my man. Besides unsurprisingly Drey'auc deserted me, however surprisingly it wasn't just to greet her son Rya'c.

Both parents gave a brief nod to their offspring as they approached a woman called Shaun'auc, barely acknowledging Bra'tac's presence and I think for once Kosh didn't even register on the Jaffa radar.

Now to really comprehend my surprise you have to keep in mind neither Drey'auc nor Teal'c smile much in public, or in semi-privacy among friends. I have seen them laugh before and know they do it, so it's not like they're that Vulcan-Klingon image I mentioned earlier. Upon occasion they will hold hands, but that is not often, not by our standards and is something they consider a custom of the Tau'ri. Even then it's done quietly to not draw attention.

So when our couple walked up to this Shaun'auc and took her hands into theirs and stared into her eyes in a way that I was getting this freaky threesome vibe. It was the kind of vibe I half expected Jack to say 'Get a room' any moment. I certainly felt that kind of discomfort standing there feeling they were going to go for it right then and there.

It had me looking away uncomfortably which is probably why I caught an odd look on Rya'c's face. It's one I've seen on Vin's or Will's face at various times, among others who had a crush on an older woman. I have to admit this Shaun'auc is on the pretty side. It made me wonder if she was Rya'c's first love, or rather first crush, like a teacher's crush.

For a brief instant I wonder who would have been Charlie's first crush on, gratefully my mind went from my son to his best friend Sammy, excuse me just Sam now that he's growing up. I wonder if Ron or Judy realizes their son has a crush on a girl literally out of this world. For that matter I wonder if Cassie has any clue Sam has a crush on her.

She is likely as clueless as Shaun'auc is about the way Rya'c may feel about her, or not, from the way his parents are acting I should throw out everything human cultures have to compare with and try to keep an objective mind about this. It's not only my job these days, but it'll help soften future shocks I am sure are en route.

Fortunately Jack came to the rescue since Bra'tac apparently didn't think anything odd about how the three were acting. One clearing of the throat later and at least introductions were being made. -That- was when I found out Shaun'auc conducted Teal'c and Drey'auc's wedding. Whatever the ceremony, considering what I am getting from the three of them now, it's no wonder Drey'auc and Teal'c were mystified about our wedding customs. They must really be different than Jaffa ones.

I have to admit, now I'm really curious.

Guiltily a bit more than her request that she be taken to the Tok'ra immediately.

Drey'auc's day

It is good to see my son again. He has changed of course, becoming a warrior will do that, yet I still see my child under the cha'tii on the path to be like his father, a full warrior.

I imagine it is hard for the Tau'ri to understand how close a priestess may become to us. Especially with Tolok their only example. Shaun'auc taught us the way of men and women, it is one way priestesses vary from priest. While many have the same duties, in some one is better suited than the other, and showing us the way of men and women is best with a priestess.

It formed a special bond that is deep and special, much like one's first love as I understand the Tau'ri. It makes it easy to show affection that otherwise a couple may not, for indeed part of the journey a priestess takes one is learn to express such properly with one another. I believe Sara, or the teacher Penny Robinson, would say 'sex education.' If I understand the Tau'ri properly, if I do I know it is more than merely sharing facts. It is very demonstrative as we learn from experience.

I do not know why the Vorlon is here. Master Bra'tac had come only to convey Shaun'auc to us safely as she had no IDC to get the Tau'ri to open their Chappa'ai. He returned even before we assembled for this meeting. Apparently there is much unrest on Chulak that he must attend to and by impulse I ask if I could go with him.

Fortunately I kept my face when Tek ma te Kosh chimed one word as if in response to my request, "Good."

O'Neill gives his consent as the leader of SG-1, as does my husband who will see why Shaun'auc had come. I leave with Master Bra'tac and my son soon afterwards, and touched Teal'c and Shaun'auc see me off at the base of the Chappa'ai. I leave with the two of them holding hands in the manner of the Tau'ri, and know all will be well. She will look after Teal'c when I am away, though I do wonder when she learned of the custom, or perhaps she merely followed Teal'c's lead.

Moac is there to meet us as we exit the Chappa'ai on Chulak. Looking around I feel the comfort of the familiar. Though I do not regret one instant of following Teal'c to Earth, this is where life had been before O'Neill and the SGC gave hope to the Jaffa.

"Do you think she will be able to convince them, Master?" Moac asked as he took up his position flanking Bra'tac as did my son on the other side.

"She will try. It is up to Hammond of Texas if he will believe," Bra'tac replied while not slowing down his pace as we head towards town.

"What will she try to convince them of Master Bra'tac?" surely he will find no fault with my question.

"That she may commune with her symbiote and has convinced it to do good and go the way of the Tok'ra," my son answers before Bra'tac does, earning a harsh, "Kree!" from the Master to the pupil. My son has good sense to lower his head. I merely look to get the answer to the question Bra'tac sees upon my face.

"Rya'c is a believer that she has succeeded. Indeed, he is one who has studied under her with time perhaps best spent with Bashaak or Kara'bashaak'tak," he answers and reproves in one breath. I keep my face neutral to not embarrass my son with the defense of him I want to speak. It does not sit well to hear he is nothing less than the full warrior he had dreamed to be.

"What is the nature of this unrest, tec'ma-te Bra'tac?" the change in subject will give my son a reprieve and it is something I wish to know in any case.

We resume our trek as he explains, "Our people here are at a crossroad, not sure to go back to the old ways or press on to the way of freedom. When Apophis attacked months ago, many wavered. I believe it was only because he was slaughtering us without asking a return that Chulak did not as a whole turn to him. When news of the Tau'ri destroying his new Ha'tak reached here then many voices to return to Apophis were stilled."

"Then what caused this new unrest, and why did Tek ma te Kosh say it was good that I come along?" out of the many things that were on my mind that one perhaps was the most troubling when my thoughts touched on it. It is said a Vorlon will speak little, but what words spoke weighed much even among the gods.

I believe I see part of the answer when I see up ahead on the path, Tolok and a priestess I do not recognize save for her brand, a priestess of Moloc if my memory serves me well.

"Word of the Tau'ri's victories grows as does our cause for freedom. While Chulak is the only world where it may be spoken openly of, others seek us out to see for themselves. The latest seeker is the source of the unrest as many wish to go and follow her."

"Tek ma te Drey'auc," the priestess addresses me earning a raised eyebrow and eventual smile from Master Bra'tac, and a look of complete surprise on the face of my son. His is far more expressive than my own, but no less as deep being greeted as I have heard no other woman greeted before.

"I am Ishta," she explains, "And you are the one who has lived openly what I have done in secret."

"It is understood that this does not leave anyone gathered here today," I hear Bra'tac say in a stern tone of remembrance, and likely for his cha'tii than either Tolok or myself.

Yet understanding or not, Ishta waits for confirming nods before speaking again.

"I had been the wife of a high-ranked warrior in the Imperial Guard, one of many," which gives me great pause as under Apophis Jaffa had only one wife to each husband. Later I will ask if this is true of other Jaffa under other Goa'uld, for now I still my tongue to let my ears give themselves to Ishta's words.

"When my husband was killed in battle against a rival Goa'uld. I entered the priesthood and soon had a horrific burden to bear. Moloc had degreed that each female child was to be burned in a Ceremony. Well just as your husband did, I found I could not serve the false god any longer. Unlike Teal'c I did not openly rebel, but smuggled infant girls to a world where they could live and grow."

"We heard of Teal'c of Chulak, I see my son's chest swell with pride at these words, "Indeed few there are likely to be by now who have not heard of him. What was whispered however was of a Jaffa woman who openly spoke up and even fought along with the men. I have come to seek the truth of those words and I see the mark of Apophis gone, replaced with one few any Jaffa see, man or woman, the mark of the Yautja."

"The unrest is many women wish to follow Ishta to this world where women are so free, yet she will not share where this world is, even to her allies," and I hear the undertone of anger in Master Bra'tac's voice.

Perhaps it is because I am not around the Tau'ri currently that I let a smile touch my lips as I might not among them, "And the men wish them to stay?"

I see Moac shift uncomfortably answering my question before Master Bra'tac does, "It is as you say." His gaze goes back to Ishta as he speaks, "I say we must stand together or we will not stand at all!"

"I know my daughters have decided they wish to go with Ishta," Tolok speaks up and meets Master Bra'tac's eyes, "And I do not think we should provide one large target for the Goa'uld to strike. Apophis has already shown he can rain death from the skies upon Chulak and currently free Jaffa have no other place to call home. I say let our sisters find a place that some of our people may live free if the worst comes down upon Chulak."

"And what of the men? The message is stay and die, or flee and live. Do you not see the greater threat here?" Master Bra'tac points out to all of us, "To send the women away even to a better place says to others we are admitting defeat. That we expect to die and whether we do or do not, to give our people hope we must stand together, or we will find we shall die apart."

"I agree," the words tumble from my mouth before I even consider stopping them, "It is true that women do need to stand for their own freedoms, but for now we must free our race and then our gender."

"Or free them together," Ishta interjects and I nod towards her, giving her a place to speak further, "Come speak to my people, as well as the women here on Chulak. Perhaps a compromise may be worked out."

I smile and nod. I think I will like this Ishta, and with her message of freedom, I think Teal'c will as well.

Sha're's story

Jan'et calls me to the Infirmary and so I bring the Ka'kesh'prim'ta guessing she would not ask for me unless someone needed healing. I recognize Shaun'auc and recall what Sara told me about what happened at the ramp leading to the Chappa'ai. This woman is precious to both Drey'auc and Teal'c, while it would not matter otherwise, I would heal whomever I could, and I know I will give more of myself to do so for them.

For a time I stand by my Dan'yel as we listen to Shaun'auc try to convince us to take her to the Tok'ra. Not understanding why they would not, or why she wants to go to them, I remind them of one reason to do so as I assumed it was her health, "Linea is most skilled, perhaps she has a remedy we would not come up with on our own?"

Then I hear her claim that demon in her is a child, her child, all because it grows within her as a child might. I am grateful Teal'c speaks before I do. My words would have been filled with the heat and hate of my demon and knowledge. Yet I am reminded on Linea again and how her symbiote helps her quells her own demon, the one that wishes to return to be the Destroyer of Worlds.

"Why does she want to go to the Tok'ra?" I ask Dan'yel after Teal'c request a moment alone and we wait outside of the Infirmary.

"She believes that she has found away to communicate with her symbiote and convince it to another way of life other than the ways of the Goa'uld," I hear his words and ponder a moment, "Why don't we believe her?"

"Because its...Its..." Jack looks around for someone else to come to his rescue, mainly at Saman'tha, Jan'et and Dan'yel.

"Because Teal'c says it's impossible," General Hammond answers sounding a bit satisfied that he spoke on the heels of Jack instead of the other way around.

When next I see Teal'c it is in his quarters with the rest of SG-1. This is a surprise in itself, however he asked to not only bring the healing device, but the hand of the gods.

They talk of Teal'c stopping his heart, which becomes clear why he asked me to bring the Ka'kesh'prim'ta, when O'Neill brings up the point that the symbiote could be a danger I see why Teal'c asked me to bring the Goa'kesh'sha. Which is what I slip on now that the danger is more immediate than the need to heal.

"Have this ready for me to use, Dan'yel," he will not hesitate, though one glance at Saman'tha and a new idea comes to my mind, "We should see if we could find another one. Then both Saman'tha and I could help Jan'et."

"I don't know Sha're, I barely could get one to work before," Saman'tha's doubts fill her voice, but the idea sparks in her eyes.

"Think about it Saman'tha" is what I say as Teal'c enters his meditation, and I have to turn to him to keep watch, "We have but one, but that will not always be the case. One of Dan'yel's books speaks that two are better than one. Two of us could do better than one and I could help you to learn how to use a Ka'kesh'prim'ta."

"Just think about it Saman'tha. Do not decide now, just think."

We turn to see Teal'c collapse, I yank off the hand of the gods and slip on the hand of life that Dan'yel passes over to me, kneeling and raising that Ka'kesh'prim'ta adorned hand when he speaks addressing Saman'tha first.

"That will not be necessary, Major Carter," turning to look I see she had the phone, likely calling Jan'et.

I try to find his eyes and succeed a heartbeat later, "Does this mean what Shaun'auc says is possible?"

"Yes, Sha're Jackson, yes."

Greeting Linea with a hug once she descends the ramp from the Chappa'ai, we turn towards the others our fingers intertwined. I realize our friendship is what Dan'yel would say an odd one, and Sara had to explain to Jack that even women of the Tau'ri hold hands without becoming romantically involved. It is the way of women, of friendship.

Ma'chello is clearly excited, while Martouf has eyes only for Saman'tha at first, letting Anise speak for the party, one lead by Jacob, but he has his arms full of his daughter right now.

"Garshaw leads the Council in the interest of what Shaun'auc proposes, which is why Jacob has brought Ma'chello, Linea and myself along."

"From my -brief- study of this proposal the theory is sound," I hear the doubt though in Ma'chello's voice as I suspect everyone else does.

"We just don't know, but it would be foolish to not explore the possibilities," Linea certainly sounds firm in her conviction, the voice of reason between Ma'chello and Anise.

It isn't long before we find out why as they explain the history of the Tok'ra. I can see my husband's eyes light up with that sense of new discovery of another culture. He looks calm to everyone else, but that is only because he is drinking in the information. Later he will pace and think it over, with a new notion coming to his mind it seems every heartbeat.

I love my Dan'yel.

Finally they leave, Linea and I peck each other on the cheek and I watch her depart. Jacob and Anise will not only convey but add their recommendation.

From what Linea has told me, Teal'c had asked if they will find a replacement symbiote for Shaun'auc, and from what my eyes have seen of the two of them, it makes me wonder if Teal'c is considering a second wife. I remember my demon knew of other demons who rewarded their best Jaffa with more wives, but Apophis had discontinued that custom as a punishment when Teal'c's father was lost to Cronus.

Drey'auc has never mentioned if she even knows of other Jaffa men with more than one wife. I know my people have that custom, as do several others my demon ruled. It is not a custom I want my Dan'yel to take up, and I guess that makes me more of his people than mine. It is what I can live with as long as Dan'yel shares his life with me.

Looking at Martouf and Saman'tha I wonder if she realizes she too has happiness in front of her. I think she is still split between him and Narim, and truly I could not tell her which she should choose yet. Hopefully she will have the time to choose.

It is not much longer before SG-1 departs as well. Sara and I watch them as they, Shaun'auc and Kosh pass through the Chappa'ai. I really hope it works out for Shaun'auc as well as the Tok'ra. I hope she lives, I would like to see her again.

Sara's summary

Everyone is home again and Jack is frustrated the Tok'ra until Drey'auc, Shaun'auc and Kosh returned along later with bad news. Well good news for Jack's mood, but bad news for the cause.

I know its hard for Jack to trust them, and I guess I might be like that except I've spent time with them. Occasionally I do visit them, well, Charlie and Charlene, but that's typically with the Tok'ra. I try no to visit when the kids are with the Re'tu. I don't mind when I can't see them, but when they give me visors to be polite, well I really prefer to visit the two of them when they're with the Tok'ra.

Jack should look at what we have done with the Tok'ra instead of what they haven't done for us. Then he'd realize they owe us. At least I hope they realize that. I mean look at what we've done. We've helped them ally with the Re'tu, they're closer to the Tollan now, they have the genius of Linea and Ma'chello helping them, and we shaved one of their oldest Selmak by providing a host.

Gee, now that part sounded really creepy to write.

Anyway, the list could go on with how we helped them with discovering a spy in their ranks, though from what Kosh said when he returned to the SGC had me worried.

I mean what do you do with a cryptic saying such as 'Hope, failed,' well it didn't mean Shaun'auc had died since she was standing right there next to Drey'auc. Not that 'Gandalf' was forth coming with an explanation. He just hung out in the gateroom until Drey'auc returned hours later.

Seeing her face I knew something was wrong, and not anything a hug was going to wipe away, though she did give me a wane smile for mine and Sha're's efforts.

"Tanith lied," Shaun'auc said in such a broken voice it took my breath away, I remember my eyes were wet just looking at how sad she was, "He is a Goa'uld intended to infiltrate the Tok'ra and betray them to the System Lords." Of course everyone wanted to know how this was found out. -I- certainly did.

"He almost, I almost..." and she couldn't say another word, just collapsed into Teal'c's arms, with Drey'auc also joining into the embrace.

Jaffa are strange that way. Sometimes they seem so unemotional or very private with their emotions and other times they could care less who sees them display them.

"Salvation. Hope. For the future," Kosh chimed and again I hadn't a clue what he meant. If Tanith is a traitor, how could any of this mean salvation, much less hope? Of course maybe the question should have been salvation or hope for who.

Drey'auc broke away first from the embrace, Teal'c kept holding Shaun'auc as if he intended to until the end of time.

"Tanith apparently was going to kill Shaun'auc, but Tek ma te Kosh prevented it somehow," she looked at Kosh and I couldn't tell if it was with a questioning look or accussational one as her tone was filled with neither, just respect, "The Tok'ra know, they suspected, and plan on using Tanith."

"As a controlled leak," Jack chimed in with Drey'auc absently nodding. To my ears it sounded as if Jack approved, though his look shouted 'For crying out loud, you could have told us, couldn't you?'

Again that absent nod from Drey'auc, she had something else on her mind besides shattered dreams of her favorite priestess. I'll bend her ear at lunch tomorrow, I'm sure by then she'll want to talk about it.

"It begins," a term I've heard from Kosh before, though what was it this time no-one knew. We had our guesses, from as simple as the gate starting to dial on its own, big surprise there he can do that, to something to do with Tanith, or my intuition is it has something to do with our resident Jaffa.

"Take care of him," Drey'auc had said to Kosh's back as he glided up the ramp and to the active Stargate. I saw the Vorlon paused, wondering (yes been doing that a lot with Kosh) just who the 'he' was she was talking about.

I didn't get to find out until Jack jumped jubilantly into bed that night. I lasted about two seconds with that 'I-know-something-you-don't-know' smile on his face. "Our boy Rya'c is going off to see the wizard," Jack quipped and let his smile grow as I gave him a death gaze silently demanding he be clearer, then had to actually speak through clenched teeth as if I was mad at him. Yes he saw through it, and I couldn't keep the act up, he could be so adorable when he's got the upper hand.

Yes, his detractors would say a pain in the mikta, as the Jaffa might say, a jerk or wise guy, but he's my guy so I see the humor in it and play along with this game of his. Both of us have got to have fun after all and his mock apologies are worth it.

"Who is Rya'c off to see?"

"Kosh. Teal'c told me he's off to travel and study with Kosh. Apparently T's boy was taken with the priestess and wanted to follow a more bookworm way among the Jaffa, you know be a preacher and all. Well no gods so the priesthood was out. Then behold," Jack made me giggle the way he said it so melodramatically, "Gandalf offers to make him an apprentice."

I let my skeptism drip into the silence that followed.

"Okay, Merlin didn't say apprentice. Actually I don't know what he said, T didn't say. Just offer to go and study with him, something about training to fight legends. T takes it to mean train to fight the gods, as in Goa'uld. At least enough to make a decision."

Seeing the glint in his eyes I knew one of his teases were coming up, with me as the target. "Say you know what else T mentioned to me?" Of course I bit the bait dangled in front of me.

"Jaffa men are allowed to have more than one wife. Shows his prestige among other Jaffas. That he's favored," yep, I see the windup and the pitch, his eyes always glittered in such a cute way when he was getting to one of his kind of punch lines, "You think maybe we should adopt that practice to show we're the big boys among the Jaffa?"

That was when the pillow fight began.

Author's notes: There was a reason I saved Shaun'auc's life and not just because I thought her death was senseless or Teal'c needed a reason to really hate Tanith. One I honestly thought it was a stretch for Tanith to be so dumb as to blow his cover by murdering Shaun'auc. Not when she hadn't discovered anything about him other than what he told her. Two I am setting up with something I made a goof on by not doing a thorough enough research on. In an earlier chapter I had Drey'auc say that Jaffa men didn't have multiple wives, and then I was reading up on Ishta for a different reason and read they do. So my goof, slight correction and notion where I might want to go in the future. This also explains why Teal'c in canon was so on fire for Shaun'auc when up to then and since he's given no hint of being unfaithful to Drey'auc.


	5. Divided

Divided

Sara's diary

Not my favorite duty as the senior officer's wife, but one I gladly throw myself into as I would want the support. Mrs. Erna Graham couldn't be told how her husband died, or the circumstances. It was one of those times I realize just how fortunate I am to be in the minority of spouses that know what their other half does for a living in the classified life of being part of the SGC.

Everyone has their story right, ultimately he died in the line of duty, where there really wasn't a lot of his body left. It wasn't the first closed casket funeral, and sadly it won't be the last. This on the heels of the six other funerals from that firefight SG-15 was involved with.

Sometimes I wonder if I really want to know the truth, yet other times I feel better off knowing. I like being able to talk to Jack about what he's been up to 'at the office.' It is good to know the truth, and I'm glad I didn't just get handed a story after crystal Charlie, as oppose to Re'tu Charlie who will be visiting soon. So much has happened since that day, when I first heard of the Stargate from the alien who was pretending to be my son.

Lately I've thought with Drey'auc joining SG-1 my job might be turned to part-time or phased out entirely. Not a thought I've been comfortable with, and while Jack has been trying to help, reminding me all I do apart from Drey'auc, it didn't really help, but I appreciated the thought.

Now I'm busier than ever here at the SGC again with Shaun'auc staying at the base. Two Jaffa women to be the cultural attaché kind of fills up the time, and add to that being the senior officer's wife and I wonder why I had been so worried about having less to do.

I'm still not sure I'm okay with the implications of having Shaun'auc around. Let's face it, born and raised in the good old US of A and polygamy is against the law, against most moralities, well in the west here, Mormons notwithstanding. It isn't something I am comfortable with, but Sha're tells me it's normal for her people, and now we find it is normal among Jaffa. Apophis was punishing his by forbidding it for a time.

Sha're's a help with Shaun'auc, and it sounds like it's easier between priestess and humans out there than laymen Jaffa and humans. Apparently the priesthood covers both types of population, though it also sounds like it is complicated.

Daniel and Claire just love it.

On top of all of this, -the- President of the United States is coming for a visit. Well to sign an alliance with the Tok'ra. People are excited and a little bit nervous of course. I admit I like President John Keller, and it helps he supports the SGC of course. I understand he's open minded about the whole aliens encounters thing, looking forward to meeting Jaffa, Tok'ra, Tollan, Re'tu and Vorlon.

We're not sure why Kosh is coming, but from the help he's been to all parties, I've been told it would be a slight to refuse his request to be here as an observer. The Re'tu make sense, as we've organized the Tok'ra-Re'tu alliance and by extent the Tau'ri-Tok'ra-Re'tu alliance. The Tollan are officially here due to their alliance with the Tok'ra, overtures towards the Re'tu and curiosity about the Vorlons.

However I suspect that the real reason the Tollan are showing up has nothing to do with the signing and everything to do with a certain blond girl-genius who has a certain Tok'ra in attendance.

It has been interesting seeing the both of them vie for Sam's attention over the last several months. If I were to keep score, I would say Martouf is in the lead, but Narim isn't far behind. Ultimately its Sam's choice of course, but speculations run high on who she will chose. Hopefully she chooses soon, I think it's reaching a fevered pitch, though with these two quiet guys it's hard to say. I know human guys would want a choice soon and neither they nor Sam are the polygamist kind.

Rounding back to my worries about my job, I am glad it does not include dealing with this Zatarc issue. It's pretty scary, and from what I hear anyone who has been off world could be one, even Jack. Now -that- is a very frightening thought.

Drey'auc's Day

Major Graham deserved better than to go out a tool of the Goa'uld. This shows the depths that they will go to turning our own against each other. Yet if one thinks about it, that is the way of the Goa'uld, an extension of what they do among themselves, and the Jaffa turning us against each other as we had fight for them.

We will not let them win.

The arrival of Martouf, Anise, Linea and Ma'chello ahead of the scheduled Tok'ra delegation was hope that they have a means to detect who might be a Zatarac. O'Neill is less than confident and with good reason with Anise leading this effort. Her work with the Atoneek armbands has not been forgotten. I think it the presence of the others that have those here at the Stronghold in better spirits than if she alone had come.

I am not surprised that with Martouf's arrival the Tollan delegation of one made his appearance. Like Martouf, Narim also brought devices to be used to help in this time of need. General Hammond is grateful, but I know he wishes that the Tau'ri would let us keep them after the meeting is over. The ability to disable weapons is a formidable gift, but not one the Tollan wish to trust us with indefinitely.

It is no surprise that he asks Major Carter where would be the best place to put the disablers and I wonder if she has made her choice yet between Narim or Martouf. It is a question that is on many minds.

"How long have they realized they love her?" Shaun'auc asks me as we watch the three of them examine spots to place the disablers, it does not surprise me that she notices the attraction as she taught Teal'c and I about the ways of love when we first met.

"I think the Tok'ra will win her heart," she concludes after only moments of watching them, "But the Tollan will continue to love her regardless of her choice."

"Is this the way of the Tau'ri?" she asks as we move on to find Sara. Just as my first days on this world, Shaun'auc is to meet with Sara to learn the ways of the Tau'ri while she learns the ways of the Jaffa.

I know Sara would answer differently, but Shaun'auc is not asking her, she is asking me, "They do sometimes like to have many options as they decide on who they will marry. This makes sense for them since after that choice there is no other."

News that Lieutenant Astor is a Zatarc comes as a shock. She is a capable warrior, one who has shown up from time to time at what Sara persists in calling Jaffacise with other Tau'ri women of the Stronghold.

There is a possible cure, several treatments suggested by Anise, Linea and Ma'chello. Linea works the longest on a solution, overnight as I understand it.

Ma'chello seems more interested in working on an improved Zat'nik'tel. When Major Graham was hit by one it did not have a sufficient effect to render him unconscious. Ma'chello wished to correct that.

He was eager the next day when Anise would try her treatment on Lieutenant Astor. Linea was up in the booth with Teal'c, and SG-1 while I am with her to comfort her. That is how Sara would put it. I understand the ways of the Tau'ri a female guard should be with a female if she is in trouble and the two SF's at the door do not fulfill that function.

We watch and listen to Lieutenant Astor who seemed to be in great pain, demanding the Tok'ra device be turned off. Which surprisingly Martouf is the one who gives the command to as neither Linea, nor Ma'chello do so as they are the voices of reason when it comes to Anise and her work.

I am amazed as she breaks her restraints, knocks me aside and takes on two of the soldiers, with O'Neill rushing in only to fall back as Lieutenant Astor has a gun and begins to fire at them, then the observation window.

O'Neill sees the true danger before any of the rest of us, and it is only when I hear him scream, "Astor!" Then I know what he is truly worried about, and apparently this was what Ma'chello waited for as he fired his improved Zat'nik'tel.

Unlike Major Graham who at best staggered, Lieutenant Astor reeled in an uncoordinated fashion, but did not fall. It did give me time to grab her and it was a struggle, even with my Jaffa strength to keep her from turning the gun upon herself.

Dimly I heard O'Neill shout again, "Not now Toto! Bad dog!"

And then I heard the noise I had come to associate as an energy discharge by K-9. Lieutenant Astor crumbled in my arms.

"Good dog, Toto," O'Neill said as he moved over to the guards shot, and then to me and Lieutenant Astor. Sha're was in next with a Ka'kesh'prim'ta to treat the guards until they could be moved to Doctor Frasier's care. Then she moved over to Lieutenant Astor.

Sha're's story

"Danger, there is danger," K-9 said and suddenly sped off, though fast is not what I call the robotic dog that had been left for General Hammond by the traveler in a blue box. When shots rang out I quickly made sure my Ka'kesh'prim'ta was upon my hand as I ran to the room. I was on standby in case something went wrong, which it did. Ka'ren was understabably frightened, and I would have been in there with her, if Dan'yel and O'Neill had not said no.

The guards had wounds that were easily treated, Jan'et should still look at them afterwards, just as she should Ka'ren.

I can see why Jack called K-9 a 'good dog' even if he is not a dog. Whatever K-9 used worked on Ka'ren when even Ma'chello's Zat'nik'tel did not. It is good that Drey'auc was here or I fear Ka'ren would not have lived for K-9 to stun her.

Linea will help Ka'ren, she can do this, I know she can.

"It was a bit of a challenge to correct this without damaging the brain," Linea said later in the infirmary. Jan'et, Mau'reen and Anise were there as we talked quietly around Ka'ren who was sedated.

"This implies you could counter the change, but it would damage the brain," Anise said a bit too dispassionately for my comfort. I wish she wasn't so indifferent.

"Yes. Correction was simple once I knew where to look and what to look for, what I wanted however was a completely cured and healthy patient, not just to beat what the Goa'uld did." She briefly looked over at me and I knew what she was really saying. It was not so much the Goa'uld she fought this night for Ka'ren, but herself, her demon. The Destroyer of Worlds would not have cared about the patient, but worked only for the challenge of finding a cure.

"I would want you two to run a few more test, so you best keep her sedated," Linea said with a touch too much authority, I moved to her side and laid a hand on her arm. She smiled and got the message, "If you would Dr. Frasier, Dr. Robinson, make sure what I came up with will be safe for Lt. Astor."

That seem to ease Jan'et and Mau'reen, and I left the three of them going over Linea's work when I went off to see Dan'yel. It had been a long night, and he had been in and out of the Infirmary and laboratory areas to check on me. I didn't find him at first, but Narim did find me.

"Mrs. Jackson, do you have a moment?" I briefly wondered if I should have him call me Sha're or not. No, he likes formalities, and he is more comfortable talking to me using the Tau'ri title. So I nod my assent and we off to the side of the hallway.

"I understand you will be wearing a Goa'uld weapon when everyone arrives. I wonder if you will allow me to adjust my Personal Disabler so it will not automatically stop your weapon from working," I think I see why he is asking. There is another question he wants to ask but does not.

"Saman'tha has not shared her heart to me about you," mercy compels me to share with him after we retrieve the hand of the gods. He has his own hand fitted device, much like what was described to me that Major Graham wore when he attacked the Tok'ra.

"Thank you, Mrs. Jackson," and I know he was not talking about letting him adjust his device.

It had felt so odd wearing the Goa'kesh'sha in the presence of so many Tok'ra. To them it must be a symbol of the Goa'uld, yet some of them must have worn one sometime for their spying in order to fit in. It is scant comfort, but I cling to it nonetheless.

Seeing Char'lie again was a joy. Charlene was not with him, but he assured me two Re'tu had come with him to observe the proceedings.

"If this goes well, we may formalize with the Tok'ra ourselves," Char'lie mentioned and again I find it curious that he considers himself Re'tu instead of human or Tok'ra, "The Tau'ri helped us with our greatest weakness with the Goa'uld, we can now either hide from them or attack from where they will not see us coming and we have tested our first warship up on your moonbase."

Several visor equipped men come over to talk to Char'lie then, or rather the Re'tu that were with him. I understand why everyone is nervous about the Re'tu, why the doors leading from the room with the Chappa'ai have a kind of TER that Ma'chello installed, but as Dan'yel has said often, they are our allies we should start to trust them sometime.

Dan'yel looks so good in a Tau'ri suit and tie I believe it is called. I see him walk over to where Saman'tha's other suitor stood, and then watched as Martouf knocked my Dan'yel aside!

Martouf fires his weapon several times as men move the President of Dan'yel's world out of the line of fire, others move Per'sus. Guns are leveled and I realize if I do not act a repeat of the time with Ka'ren will happen, or worse, like poor Major Graham.

My blast flings Martouf up into the air to land too loudly for my comfort on the ramp before the Chappa'ai. Ma'chello fires his worked upon Zat'nik'tel and Martouf only drunkenly rises, or like one to whom drink has taken much from.

"Samantha?" he says with a strain and I realize that Saman'tha has entered the room and also holding a Zat'nik'tel.

"No!" I seem to be the sole voice as an understanding falls over everyone else. That there is only one way this could end and it might be up to poor Saman'tha to end it.

Except Narim provides another option and he uses his disabler on the weapon Martouf has in his hand, where the fingers of his other hand are trying to press something on it. We see ruby rays shine upon it and most wince when Martouf's fingers find the button they sought.

Nothing happened.

Then K-9 was there and Martouf was truly knocked out by whatever beam the robot dog Jack calls Toto fired at him.

Martouf will live and from the way I see Saman'tha cradling him, I do not think she is divided any longer about which man her heart belongs to.

Sara's summaries

It was good seeing Charlie again, and better not seeing the Re'tu that came with him. He has grown so much, it almost makes me cry as I think to my own Charlie and what he might be like right now. Naturally when the action started, I found myself trying to shield a boy who was likely stronger than I am as he had a symbiote in his head. Instincts kicked in, and I do note he didn't try to wiggle out from me. I'm not surprised, sometimes one just wants to be held.

Whatever Rya'c is off doing with Kosh, so far seems more scholarly than fighting skills wise. He was able to speak a few languages with Daniel and Claire. I wasn't certain which languages as I only know English and Jaffa, okay Goa'uld but I've covered that earlier in my diaries.

From the one look I garnered from his reunion with his parents, he was mixed about Shaun'auc. I think he still has a crush on her, and I think she knows it, however they both know the other won't act on it. Particularly now if what Drey'auc is telling me is true. Not that I think Shaun'auc would have acted on Rya'c's interest other than as a teacher and of what I am not going there. One day I might have to, but that's not today.

Seeing Narim off started off as a sad occasion. He tried so hard, and while it's not game over by any means, I can only imagine what might be running through this head. Unthinkable thoughts, one I hope his Tollan civilization has helped him walk past. I know if it were me I'd wonder, if I had let Martouf die would that clear the way to Sam? Not a question anyone ought to be thinking, but it's there and will be as long as Sam and Martouf are together.

"Thank you for everything, Mrs. O'Neill, Mrs. Jackson, Colonel, Doctor. Tell Samantha...I hope to see her soon someday."

"Narim," came a voice from a doorway, Sam's voice, "Glad I caught you on the way out. I just wanted to say how much I appreciated you coming here and why. I know it just wasn't for relations of our people, was it?" I saw her raise her finger to his lips, "Don't confirm or deny, let's just see each other another time."

Narim wasn't so sad when he walked up the ramp and through the gate to his home. Everything he brought with him floating behind in a box that followed him through the gate.

Sam left immediately after the gate closed, heading to infirmary where Martouf lay near Karen Astor. No guesses here with which one she is off to see.

Eventually the goodbyes ended. Charlie, Re'tu, Tok'ra, Rya'c, Kosh, we saw them off through the Stargate. Finally it was just Jack and I headed up to leave the base after several wearying days. Pros, we have a treaty, not two more dead due to the Zatarc, and it was good seeing Charlie again. Cons, we do have one dead from the Zatarc, no idea which Goa'uld is behind them, and with Charlie meant dealing with the Re'tu.

I suppose that last part was a very minor con. After all I couldn't see them unless someone handed me one of Ma'chello's visors, which Jack is insisting on calling 3D glasses, despite not looking anything like them.

Here is a nice pro just going up the elevator. Leaning my head on Jack's shoulder, holding hands with him, knowing we're heading home and likely straight to bed. I'm still divided on if it's a pro or con that we're likely to go straight to sleep.

No, not really, considering who I'm going to sleep next to.


	6. Jaffa Day

Author's notes: warning short chapter

Jaffa Day

Sara's Diary

I don't know what happened, but I have a feeling Jack and I had a lot of fun. Oddly enough it's something I am going to pin Drey'auc or even Teal'c down to get the whole story, but from what I hear we've been in a kind of time loop, a Ground hog's day on overdrive for months. The only ones who remember the loops are Teal'c and Drey'auc. I know Jack's been bugging Teal'c for details about what they did. Especially after Daniel made a comment on how free it would make our Jaffa couple. They could do whatever they want and not worry about the consequences.

It was one of those rare times I saw both of them smile and look at Jack. I'm sure -that- is what set him on his quest to find out what happened.

Fortunately we all agreed to have a night, or two where our Jaffa couple will sit down over pizza and tell us everything they did during those time loops.

One thing it did once they were over was create paper work for me. It appears my esteemed and toss the rules out of the window husband, taught our Jaffa couple how to fly fighter jets. I think Hammond was going to achieve orbit on his own when he heard the news.

Then he laughed and shook his head at what Jack apparently had done, shrugging it off as nothing could be proven as technically it didn't happen.

Anyway, regardless of the fact that to my point of view this morning Drey'auc only knew how to drive a car, and now she can drive a motorcycle as well as fly a fighter aircraft, qualifying test have to be set up so in the obscure case where either Teal'c or Drey'auc will have to fly a jet they can be allowed to.

I keep thinking about that and the implications. If they had enough loops so that Drey'auc went from ground school to actual flying it had to be months and months of loops. Likely far more than the three months Sam figured from when Martouf first tried to contact her.

Drey'auc's day

It was the time of a million kisses. This is where Teal'c and I found ourselves when the loops began. Each loop always sent us back to that moment where our day started with a kiss.

I found it a very nice way to begin the loops, even if the examinations we had to endure were not so pleasant. Doctor Frasier did not vary once in all the times we repeated the events of this single day.

Though it did get easier to convince everyone that we were telling the truth and not collaborating with an elaborate practical joke as O'Neill kept insisting until we learned if we used words only Major Carter would everyone began to believe us.

After that it only required an hour each time to get them to believe us. Once that was done we tried to assist Daniel Jackson translating the tablets. Eventually Teal'c and I learned the language he required of us and loop by loop he was getting closer to his answer.

While O'Neill did not experience the loops with us, he perceived the frustration Teal'c and I were going through and after Daniel had mentioned about how free this could be, O'Neill decided to take us out of the mountain to fully see his world.

I had to keep The List, as O'Neill referred to it. Since he wouldn't remember what we did or did not get to on it, one of the first things I had to do after convincing everyone was type up the list and print it out.

We did not have to worry about being seen as Jaffa, or even making mistakes about his culture. We could just go and experience the world of the Tau'ri.

His trust in our word that all of this would loop moved the both of us more than what he took us around to do and even learn.

I learned to fly!

Each time after O'Neill agreed to teach me, Sara would say this was not allowed, so did General Hammond, but O'Neill either convinced Hammond of Texas that or did so without asking him. Each time afterwards I did have to show what I knew already and that boosted O'Neill's confidence in me to proceed with each new step.

Teal'c knew already how to fly, but had no experience with the craft of the Tau'ri. We learned together how to fly their jets, and we even were able to fire their weapons. It was a glorious experience to fly so high or even as O'Neill called it 'buzzing' several places.

There were times of much yelling over the radio when we did those things.

Sara had taught me to drive in earlier years, but not a motorcycle. I have seen Sergeant Silar and Major Carter work on them, and they seem to ride much like horses, like the ones Captain Larabee had on his ranch.

I am not sure the reason why he wanted us to 'raid' Area 51, but we learned many things that the SGC had not been told about. O'Neill said it was important that we remember and tell him about these things once this was all over.

Many times when those loops ended they did so with MPs or SFs chasing after us. O'Neill sometimes gave up, other times forced them to chase us. Truly his trust that these were loops were amazing.

Sha're's story

Snuggled up beside my Dan'yel I listen to what Teal'c and Drey'auc tell us about what happened when time repeated itself over and over again. I wish I could have remembered as apparently I was able to go out and see Dan'yel's world with him as Jack threw away the rules of his people.

Dan'yel kisses my ear and surprises me when he speaks, "We'll get them to list every place we went to and we will visit them again. This time we will remember."

"I am not sure about the moonbase," it did not sound very exciting from the way Drey'auc described it, but the other places did, "But I would like to visit Catherine at Eureka." It felt as if I should have added again, but to me it never happened.

Sara's summaries

I found myself blushing when Teal'c so matter-of-factly described Jack and I being quite daring on where we decided to have fun. It sounds romantic actually, just the sort of things one fantasizes about doing but wouldn't dream of because of the consequences.

Jack must have -really- trusted Teal'c and Drey'auc for us to have made love in half the places they were saying we did. Again those were fantasies I'd share with Jack in bed, or just goofing around, but I never expected to act on them. Then to hear some of the places Jack took us, expensive places. The sort where you would go maybe once a year and he paid for all of us apparently.

Of course if I know that whatever I just charged wasn't going to be there tomorrow, I might be tempted to not pay attention to price.

Which explains all the cars Teal'c and Drey'auc got to drive and Jack apparently had bought off the lot. No negotiation, no haggling, just whatever the price was because it didn't matter. So porche rolls Royce, just about any car we wanted to try. He'd ask either Jaffa if he'd driven this or that car and a yes or no would prompt him to either buy or move on to the next one on his list.

I've never been big on jewelry but after Drey'auc listed what Jack bought me, I'm having second thoughts. Ah, I see he spotted those thoughts, as he commented "Not happening now." Though he did bring our entwined hands up to his lips to kiss mine.


	7. Water, Water

Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink

Sara's diary

Jack -really- doesn't like Russian. Really, really, doesn't like Russians and noticing this I realize that Jack is a very equal opportunity hater. Well, maybe hate is too strong, but then again Jack doesn't like Russians with the same dislike he has towards Goa'uld and Robots. That puts a whole new light on how the other Jack must be handling who he is. I wonder how that robotic me is helping him deal with it.

Well, Reds, Robots and Snakeheads, they're all the same and he's just as not wanting to go to Siberia as he would into Goa'uldtown.

He's particularly not happy about the fact the Russians have a Stargate and apparently know a lot about our operation. I know General Hammond shares this concern, and I do too. I think everyone does, especially the fact that they're request for help also included asking Sha're to go as a 'big gun.' The fact they know about her is disturbing, but more so that they know she's been using her ribbon device enough to be considered a big gun.

We really would have been worried if they mentioned anything regarding Shaun'auc.

All of this means a security leak and that means an investigation is going to happen while our boys and girls are off to Siberia.

I am not looking forward to it and I was right.

You know I've seen the cameras set up and recording for others while they were interviews or interrogated. It is a different feeling when I am the one under the lights and camera.

Afterwards I can't honestly say what the interview was like. Lots of questions asked, facts brought up that I tried not to be surprised with some of them. It was like a trip down memory lane, they even asked about the scifi conventions we've had out tings out. In hindsight I shouldn't have been surprised with those questions. If there was going to be a leak that is an ideal place to have it. With all those costumed and oddly dressed attendees, anyone could have been there.

Sitting with Shaun'auc and her interview was easy going. She hadn't been here long enough to be a leak as she hadn't been outside the mountain yet. The other 'resident aliens' were a different matter. Vin was brought back and talked to. It was my job to help him through the interviews as well. I almost had a giggle fit when bureaucracy demanded that as a thinking, rational being that even General Hammond considers under his command, both Robby and Toto had to be interviewed.

Three guesses who was there with them.

I think Teal'c's laconic replies were well represented by both bots. Our interviewer was thrown off with answers and how much both of them knew. I think when someone reads this report they are going to be very worried. One positive thing though, they helped narrow down the timeline of information and surprised everyone by suggesting that the powers-that-be talk to one Ezra P. Standish of SG-7.

Turned out that he did track down the likely source of the leak, his former boss one Harry Maybourne.

Drey'auc's Day

"This does not seem wise, O'Neill!" I hear my husband say again and it does not take a close association to tell that he is not happy about having to jump out of this aircraft. I try my best to hide my excitement, but that is in vain. Teal'c is not paying attention, O'Neill is trying to keep everyone calm, Daniel Jackson is attempting to keep Sha're calm and Major Carter is trying to talk to Svetlana Markova.

"I am looking forward to this O'Neill," I let slip earning a look from him, my husband, everyone in the aircraft. "We shall fly!"

So many experiences I have had since coming with Teal'c to the world of the Tau'ri. Things few other Jaffa women get to do. Fly through the air, travel to other words, fight beside my husband and now I get to dive in the sky!

Major Carter and Doctor Markova go first. Then my husband goes to the very edge, and I look beyond him to the sky open up before us. What a sight! I have flown on Tau'ri air ships before, but never been at a place to see open air like I do now.

With O'Neill I give my husband a push and he leaves. I lose the fact he does not like this in the joy of having the wind in my face, and the air all around me. Following instructions I pull the device and soon I am jolted upwards and start to float down.

I cherish the moment of spreading my arms out as I fell through the sky as well as now when during this quick descent. I don't think my smile leaves my face all the way down to the quickly approaching ground. Trees and snow come up at me as I land in the snow.

"Gods!" is out of my mouth before I realize it, "Let us do that again!"

O'Neill who lands near me gives me one of his odd looks that I interpret as disbelief then amusement.

"Let's go find your husband," he says and on our way we encounter Major Carter and Doctor Markova, but not Teal'c and that begins to worry me. I hope nothing has happened to him, or Sha're or Daniel Jackson. We have not heard from any of them, and oddly I worry the most about Sha're. Teal'c I am confident he is fine, as well as Daniel Jackson, but Sha're this is so far from her experience as it is mine and unlike me she was terrified of jumping.

Approaching the building we are to meet at this strange mask goes on and we enter cautiously. It is upon entry that we find the others made it and are inside already.

We work towards one another, and nearly surprise Daniel Jackson, which means nearly surprising Sha're. Not a wise act with her clearly wearing the hand of the gods. The glow and sound of it causes Doctor Markova to ask many questions that puts a smile on O'Neill's face as he answers just has she had been his questions.

"I'm afraid that is classified," and I can tell there is great satisfaction in his voice.

I think at first a great battle was fought here in this place, but as we search we find men dead with no apparent cause of death. It is as confusing as listening to Major Carter and Doctor Markova talk.

While the talking is confusing, when it comes time to act, I understand. I am to go with Doctors Jackson and Markova as we go in this craft that is suppose to travel under the water as a ship goes in space. A wondrous notion this is and makes twice in a single day I get to experience a marvel other Jaffa women could only dream of doing.

It is smaller than a Tel'tak or even an Udajeet, though more room for pilot and passengers than an Udajeet. Doctor Markova is our pilot with Major Carter operating the controls to position us so that the Chappa'ai pulls us in and to another world. This one all under water!

Water is above us, below us, all around us. It amazes me until something goes wrong with this submarine. Doctor Markova is confident she can fix it, but Doctor Jackson feels the need to make many comments that I normally hear from O'Neill. Perhaps it is the way the men of the Tau'ri cope with dangerous situation, with only one male present designated to make observations intended to be humorous.

Our situation grows less humorous after Doctor Markova repaired the damage. In fact, I wondered as the glass in front of the submarine vanished as it was crushed if this would be the day I died. I picture Teal'c, Rya'c, and Shaun'auc in my mind and wait. When nothing happens, I stare along with Daniel Jackson and Doctor Markova into water that stays at the nose of the submarine without rushing in to crush us.

Then Daniel Jackson is there, touching the water like the entrance to an active Chappa'ai. It acts much like it, though it does not let him go. I'm there in the next moment, my silent promise to Sha're foremost in my mind, the safety of my team mate following it. I succeed in holding Daniel Jackson in the submarine, just as Doctor Markova holds onto me when something covers us and I am aware of nothing more.

Sha're's story

"I don't want to go Dan'yel, I don't want to go," my grip on his hand is fierce and I hope I am not breaking his hand as I stare out of the back of the plane. So much air, so far to fall. I do not think I have ever been this high before in my life.

My demon has flown in her various chariots, but she had never jumped out of one, nor even considered it at such a height.

"Don't worry honey. Don't worry, we will jump together," Dan'yel tries to reassure me. I suppose the fact we are going to jump together does. However when we get to the end of the plane, I find I cannot move. I have seen Saman'tha and Svet'lana go ahead of us, Teal'c and Drey'auc next and then it is our turn. Now I feel I must be crushing his hand as I grip it.

"I can't move Dan'yel. I can't move."

"Sha're it is easy," he sounds as if he's trying to convince himself and that does nothing to relieve my fear. "Tell you what honey, we're going to try scream therapy."

His strange combination of words dampens some of my fear, and I find myself repeating them, "Scream therapy?"

"Yes, we'll both scream as loud as we can as we jump," and then he does not give me a chance to think more about it as he jumps pulling me with him.

We scream, somewhere in that scream our para-chutes open up and we are yanked up into the air and I find I am screaming even more. I do not think I stop until I am on the ground again and then all I want to do is find my Dan'yel and have him hold me.

Which I do.

Sometime an eternity later we gather ourselves and I slip on the hand of the gods, it is what got me into this. If I find out who has told these Rus-sians about me and it, I feel now I will want to use it upon them.

"Dan'yel?" I say not looking at him but my mind firmly made up.

"Yes Sha're?"

"There will be no more diving in the sky."

"Yes, Sha're."

Teal'c finds us and then leads us to the building O'Neill told us to meet at. It is worrisome that Drey'auc is not around, but Teal'c focuses on getting us to the place and I imagine keeping his mind off of where his wife must be.

We get in and find bodies. Not the worst I have seen since my demon had possessed me, but my heart goes out to the families of these men who will not be going home to their wives and families.

Then we find the others and I nearly use the Goa'kesh'sha on O'Neill as they surprise Dan'yel and I am not thinking of who it might be, I am thinking of the men who are not going home again and determined my Dan'yel will not join them.

There is much talk I do not follow save when O'Neill says Dan'yel is going in a sub-marine. "But sub-marine's sink!" My first experience with them was a few months ago with the Repli-cators. That sub-marine sank, Dan'yel must not go on one of those. Thor is not here to beam him out!

"You must not go Dan'yel!" there have been too many new things. This diving in the sky, dead bodies and now letting my Dan'yel go in a sub-marine, "No, you must not go."

I miss O'Neill's look at Dan'yel which prompted him to take me aside, "Sha're it will be okay. Drey'auc is going with me. You trust her to take care of me don't you?"

"That is unfair," I don't even notice that I stamped my foot, "You know I trust Drey'auc to take care of you. I have since my son was born." It was not with words, but she understood my look even as the demon took control of me. A request to look after my Dan'yel until I could, a promise I know she kept.

I don't want to let him go, and unlike the Tau'ri I have no problems kissing in front of others. I do have a problem letting him go in that less than safe looking sub-marine. It makes me want to do something besides watch it go like I did that other sub-marine when Teal'c and O'Neill wore cameras on their heads.

Teal'c mentions that there are bodies not accounted for and that means we start searching. I find I want to find something.

"Sha're...go easy," O'Neill whispers to me after he notices me swinging my Goa'kesh'sha in wide arcs to the left and right as we move along in case an enemy was to soon appear. I think that and the fact it was charged and loudly so that he sought to calm me down.

"Will Saman'tha be alright by herself?" I whisper as we search. Teal'c takes what I have O'Neill say as point. I suppose it is like a spear or staff weapon, the first part to strike.

"She will, and she's keeping a watch on Daniel, don't worry."

I find thinking about Dan'yel has me swinging my arm around again with the Goa'kesh'sha glowing ready to act at my command. Eventually I calm down enough that it is not charged so noisily.

Then O'Neill finds footprints that lead to this door that looks cold to the touch. A freezer of such size that it amazes me. I have not seen it's like in either our home, nor Sara's or Raine's where I learn to cook in a Tau'ri kitchen.

O'Neill positions me, and then readies himself to fire. Now the Goa'kesh'sha is charged and ready as Teal'c opens the door and we find Maybourne!

I do not recall this evil man's whole name, but I do remember him from both when I first came to Dan'yel's world and that time the aliens took over the base. Maybourne's men had come down to 'rescue' us or so Saman'tha said. I recall having my Goa'kesh'sha pointed right at him, its power humming loudly, the urge to use it on him great. Jack talked me out of it, and it was one of the few times I doubted his wisdom, yet did not want to become as my demon had been, to hurt for the sake of hurting.

Finding him dead does not ease my ire against him, not that he does me the favor of remaining dead. My Goa'kesh'sha glows in readiness the moment his eyes shift, and breath escapes in a vapor.

"O'Neill?"

"Steady Sha're, steady...we don't know what's going on yet," Jack cautions me, more than Teal'c to not take action. It is more of a sense in his tone that I feel his cautionary is more than directed at me.

I wish Teal'c had been more mindful of the caution.

Something went from Maybourne into Teal'c, a great gout of water that went to vapor and from there into Drey'auc's husband. His look of awareness, of knowing how he is, vanished from his eyes. He was not like one possessed of a demon, yet he was possessed of something else.

"Teal'c? Teal'c don't come any closer," I wished my voice did not sound so frightened or shrill. It does not help to hear O'Neill warning Teal'c off, or that I hear the safety of his weapon shift. Jack will fire if I do not since Teal'c is coming my way regardless of our entreaties.

I chose to fire.

Teal'c went flying back into a wall, when suddenly I feel a hand yank at my other wrist and pull. Maybourne is pulling both Jack and I into the freezer where we found him, closing the door after letting us go. Both Jack and I point our weapons at him and find he is most forthcoming with what is going on.

We have to stop Teal'c or rather the thing in him before he goes back to his world and Teal'c drowns.

Jack not only leads the way after Teal'c, but soon out distances me. By the time I catch up, Jack is on the ground, and Teal'c is closing the door to the room where the Russians keep the Chappa'ai. Saman'tha soon is there helping Jack up and we find the doors sealed.

It does not remain sealed for long.

My hand of the gods send them flying away, yet I cannot bring it to bear on Teal'c with Saman'tha and Jack wrestling with him. I only think to do so at all because I know how strong a Jaffa is, Teal'c more so than most. If we are to stop him from going into the Chappa'ai, I must be prepared to use the hand to stop him.

"Teal'c!" I try again having rushed ahead and stand before an active Chappa'ai, "Teal'c please!" I know if it were a demon controlling him there would be little to no hope of his resistance. Yet little is not no hope. I forced my demon not to give away Dan'yel, Drey'auc and Teal'c from their hiding place when Apophis came for Amonet back home on Abydos, and my brother tells me he was able to make his demon hesitate to put up a shield to protect his Ha'tak when the Tau'ri attacked.

I can only hope as I face him and let that grow as he staggers instead of resolutely marching towards me. The buzz of the Goa'kesh'sha wavers only with my resolution. I used it once on him, I must be ready to use it again.

"Teal'c!" I hear both Jack and Saman'tha call out as they struggle to stand. Jaffa strength unrestrained is not easy to overcome or recover quickly from.

Maybe Teal'c heard us, maybe he finally gained the upper hand, I do not know as he doubles over falling to his hands and knees to expel the water that become vapor.

"Sha're!" Jack and Saman'tha are nearly a duet as they shout my name and I see why as the vapor heads right at me. Would my Goa'kesh'sha even harm it? A question I ask myself a heartbeat too late as the vapor is upon me, or would have if it didn't drift up and over my head.

Then Dan'yel, Drey'auc and Svet'lana come flying through the Chappa'ai. Dan'yel would say it was a miracle I was not hit by any of them, indeed Jack does say that. Not that I am fully listening as I tend to my Dan'yel.

Sara's summaries

Harry Maybourne. He had been 'advising' the Russians on how to use their Stargate and had SG-1 as a contingency plan in case something went wrong. Well, SG-1 plus Sha're. I'm surprised he didn't ask for Robby. No I take that back, he probably doesn't trust Robby enough to suggest him as a backup in case things went wrong.

And did they ever.

I know Harry wasn't Sha're's favorite person before, but now he was definitely near the top of her list as those she hates, this time for making her skydive. While Drey'auc loved it and couldn't wait to do it again, Sha're was terrified by it. From what Daniel says she nearly didn't get on the airplane to come home thinking they may have to skydive to get back.

Daniel was also excited about the ruins found in that water world, yet not so much as he wanted to charge off in a sub of our making yet. But he is thinking about it and I think I heard mention of the Navy officer they met a while back when dealing with Replicators, Nathan Bridger as well as Nem from P3X-866.

Teal'c had an interesting suggestion when he heard Daniel thinking of contacting Nem. Apparently during the time loop thing, Jack helped us bring into Area 51 to look around. A fact I still laugh about, not that I can imagine me with a Zat and dressed all in black. It's hard to know how much of that tale was an embellishment by Teal'c or was a factual telling.

Anyway, if Teal'c is right, we have someone here on Earth that can breathe under water. Something I would have scoffed at before the SGC. Now hearing said Abe Sapien does so and is kept at Area 51 is not so unbelievable. Especially if one looks at the source of Teal'c's verification to the existence of Abe, one Dr. Johann Krauss recent addition to SG-13.

I'm not sure we should go to all this trouble, but who knows what possible new allies may bring? Take our recent alliance with the Tok'ra and Re'tu for instance. As I understand it, one of the SG teams is getting a Re'tu. I think it's going to be SG-2 since Robby can see one plainly. If so poor Major Coburn, he's had a lot to adjust to since taking command of that team. First a not-quite-alien-but-super-advance robot, and now an invisible alien. I'd say his team is the dumping ground for weirdness, and yet Dave's SG-13 comes to mind.

I suppose that would be the debate. Would parapsychologist trump a robot and invisible alien? I'm not really sure, not when you throw whatever Dr. Krauss is.

Well the good news is the team is back from Russian and life is settling back down to what is normal, such as it is at the SGC.


	8. Firsts

Firsts

Sara's diary

I don't know who is worse, Sha're or Jack. At least Sha're has a good reason to be sulky with Daniel away with SG-11, she's married to the man. If I didn't know Jack is a man's man, I might have reason to be jealous. Perhaps a bit unfair, Daniel is his best friend and all, but one would think Daniel had died ... again to see how Jack has been acting.

It would have been nice to have Claire around to help with her daughter-in-law, but she, like just about ever archeologist and anthropologist, is off to P3X-888. From what I was able to get out of Claire this may be the world the Goa'uld evolved on. So on a first from General Hammond, he's letting all of his specialist off to literally dig up information on our enemy.

SG-1 is not the only team to suffer a loss of their favorite civilian scientist. SG-7 and 13 have also 'contributed' Josiah and Dr. Balinsky, with Moonbase Alpha sending along the Bedrosian refugees Nyan and Mallin who are also archeologist. They do have a vested interest finding out more about the enemy who pretty much devastated their world recently.

However I don't see Chris or Dave sulking like I do Jack. I should probably point this out to him, but I secretly wonder if he just likes it too much for something as trivial as the truth to dissuade one Colonel Jack O'Neill from his current past time.

Sam is busy running who knows what experiments, I'd ask but I don't want to insult her when I get that glazed over look in my eyes as I don't understand what she's trying to explain. I'm trying hard not to know what Teal'c, Drey'auc and Shaun'auc are up to. I have the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach I do actually know what it is, and it really is my job to find out, but I'm not going to volunteer to have my notions confirmed just yet.

Intellectually I should be able to handle it, but emotionally I just rebel at the thought. It is inevitable to come across an alien culture and find out they are ... well, alien. That they have a few things that you object to, find wrong morally speaking, yet to them it is perfectly fine. We don't even have to leave Earth to find such cultures, sometimes it could be what they consider food and we don't.

I suppose General Hammond is going to notice the absence of anything regarding the three Jaffa together eventually, but I think I have a little while with all the information I have from Shaun'auc other than the subject that must not be named.

Three weeks is a long time for Jack to be on stand-down and it abruptly ended with Robert's return dragging a ruffled Claire and scared to death Mallin nearly preceding them. I think she only didn't because she knew about the iris and let Robert send the IDC before she would choose to leap through.

With only three coming back out of the large party that left, this meant trouble. The Sha're-will-need-me kind of trouble since it started with our being told that Daniel was dragged off by some creature according to our only eyewitness one Dr. Robert Rothman.

"We should have waited for Ghranth!" I heard Claire yell at Mallin even as the gate shut off.

"He was too slow! Besides, what could hurt him? He's a Mondoshawan!" Mallin continue the verbal exchange with Claire as the gateroom filled up with concerned parties, making way for General Hammond as he strode into the area.

"We don't know what it was that took my son!" clearly I saw Claire was more angry at herself, maybe projecting a little on Robert, for leaving when she wanted to be there searching for Daniel.

Claire was the most clear headed of the three, but she wasn't there when Daniel was taken. She was told by Major Connor to get back to the Gate, and ordered Robert to take her. Apparently Nyan decided to go with SG-11 as they moved out, but Mallin wasn't having any of that. Since I don't know how I would react to live out one of those monster movies where one creature keeps taking out the cast one-by-one, I shouldn't judge her. I might be her if the circumstances were different, running for my life.

About all they got out of him was it might be a Unas. Jack didn't need to hear that, nor did Chris or Dave. With these two it was their people went after Daniel and so they immediately volunteered to join the search after Jack proposed units one and two.

But wait, there's more ... I should apologize to myself about writing that, late night television and those Ginsu knives.

Alpha wasn't to be undone as Nyan is part of that base, at least to John Koenig. Tolok and his sons ringed down with what looked like some kind of folded up metal bracings. Will knew what it was and nearly drooled, or so it seemed to me, metaphorically speaking.

On loan from our new allies of the Free Worlds is an Autonomous Mapping Evaluation and Evasion, or AMEE for short. It's suppose to be their version of a MALP.

Once Will checked his wrist worn controls, he did something and those metal bracings in the shape of a box, unfolded revealing a wiry and skeletonized form that has no precise animal analog, but I couldn't help but think it resembled one. Sort of similar to both a jaguar and a monkey the way it moved on either four or two legs, the front appendages acting as either arms or legs.

"This will act as a UAV," he pointed to a cylinder in AMEE's back. I just nodded as he enjoyed explaining his new toy to me. It was something to do as Jack organized the teams going out to help SG-11's search for Daniel.

I did spot Tolok and Shaun'auc talking in one corner and didn't really think it through until I saw Dan Silar bringing out one of the extra staff weapons and handing it to her.

So one large Jaffa contingent going along with SGs 1, 2, 7 and 13. Quite the rescue party, and I wouldn't expect any less. Everyone wants to move heaven and earth to help Daniel. It took a direct order from General Hammond to keep Claire from going back, though he did let Sha're go along. That hand of the gods thing she can use, ribbon device as most call it, has been her ticket to go on a mission more than once.

Considering it also had her go to Russia she considered that a mixed blessing, if she knew what a mixed blessing was. She still talks about having 'dive into the sky' whenever anything Russian comes up. It had gotten to a point where no-one will even so-much mention the word around her. Few want to set her off.

Drey'auc, in contrast, wants to relieve her skydiving experience and has been pestering, well for Drey'auc, me to arrange for her to go skydiving again. I think if she were allowed she would go for paratrooper training. The scary thought is I think General Hammond is actually thinking about arranging it.

"They'll bring Daniel back alive," I uttered the words I know Claire needed to hear and hoped they were true. We had moved up to the conference room to watch everyone leave. Since I couldn't see Jack off in the gateroom, crowded as it was, the best place to watch is the conference room. There we saw AMEE stalk off followed by Jack and his team, then Chris and his with the rest following up the ramp and off to rescue Daniel.

Drey'auc's day

This machine proceeding ahead of us truly moves like a feline predator. Once though the Chappa'ai it folds and twist until the cylinder that was pointed to earlier and described as a Tau'ri UAV was in what I was told launch position. I was proud that neither I nor Shaun'auc flinched when it launched into the air and blades spun to make it fly.

Then we continued to follow this AMEE as she started to track, Teal'c confirming it worked before he took did so on his own. He and Vin fanned out, flanking AMEE as we moved forward.

It did not take us long to see the Mondoshawan. I do not know if he was still making his way to the Chappa'ai or away from it. Either could have been the case with his slow pace. Right now he stopped to wait for us and we discovered it was neither. He had been headed to the Chappa'ai, but slow as he is, he is not that slow. He had been back to the camp since the taking of Daniel Jackson and found a spot where he apparently could watch both camp and Chappa'ai.

"Much fighting near river," he told us when we caught up to him, "Fighting in forest after that then silence."

"Thanks big G," O'Neill says to him and then motions with his hands. I see the SG teams move out in response, then O'Neill turns to Robby, "Anything bluie?" It was right then that I comprehended it is a testament of his concern for Daniel Jackson that O'Neill is relying on Robby at all.

"We are proceeding in the correct direction his abductor took," we heard Robby reply and saw O'Neill motion Robby to stop.

"I want you and SG-2 on gate duty like last time. Secure the gate," he turned to Major Colburn, "See to it Major."

"Sir I should go along, I'm best with UAV," I heard Airman Robinson's attempt to join us, and also saw O'Neill shake his head.

"That's a negative Airman. I do want you here and monitoring the UAV AMEE launched, but you can report by radio. Robby works best with you. Stay and secure the gate."

"Yes sir." I only wonder if Rya'c is like this when Master Bra'tac tells him something he doesn't want to hear yet fights to show respect out of disappointment.

We leave SG-13 to secure the camp, SG-7, Tolok and his sons follow along behind us as we follow the trail of Daniel Jackson. I am amazed at how quiet all of us are save for Doctor Rothman. If any enemy hears our approach it will be due to his inexperience in the ways of stealth. I am gratified that Shaun'auc and I are somewhat more progressed, Teal'c taught us well.

A hand signal, we stop and then see as Vin returns with Major Connor who appears in a daze, shock I think the Tau'ri call it.

"Where's the rest of your men?" O'Neill asked and I have to wonder if the man is cursed. If he is the sole survivor this will be the third or forth time only he survived when his team was killed.

"We were attacked. Sanchez is dead for sure. I don't know what happened after that. We got split up…I was hoping some of them might have made it back," Major Connor does not sound himself, but then how would I sound if I lost every one of my teammates again.

"Some tracks go this way," my husband pointed out as Vin was going another direction silently disagreeing. Captain Larabee turned to the young man, "Out with it Vin. I respect Teal'c too, but I won't let that blind me."

"I think a party of Unas went in this direction, shadowing the one who took Dr. Jackson," Vin said and I see my husband walk over to where the young man was looking.

"I agree. This is not Doctor Jackson's path, but others who follow him."

"Wait, others? As in plural? As in a whole lot of Unas?" both my husband and I realize O'Neill is not asking to find answers but make a point.

Yet my husband knows O'Neill expects a reply, "Yes O'Neill it is as I said, others. More than one Unas. At least two, could be up to five." This was news not greeted well by anyone.

"Look Jack, we can't have these catch up to either Daniel, or come around to blindside us. Let me take SG-7 and track the Unas, hopefully get a lead on Josaih and Nyan," Captain Larabee suggested and O'Neill gives a nod.

"I'm sure they're not all dead, Major," Captain Larabee says to Major Connor with a pat on his shoulder, "Josiah knows how to take care of himself and the others."

AMEE had stood in the path my husband believed Daniel Jackson was taken, waiting for us. "Okay, okay, don't be so pushy girl, we're coming," O'Neill bewildered me by talking to the robot.

"She in fact said nothing O'Neill," my husband pointed out.

"Oh in girl talk she did," and then O'Neill casted a glance at myself, Shaun'auc, Sha're and Samantha Carter. I noticed she had a smile I would have liked explained, but now was not the time.

"Colonel?" we heard Airman Robinson's voice come over radio.

"O'Neill go," was the curt reply.

"You're at a spot AMEE's recon drone matches a fleeting contact with Dr. Jackson, sir."

"Thank you Airman, keep me apprised, O'Neill out."

Not long after that we stopped for the night, establishing a camp, a watch, yet no fire. Wise as we didn't want to alert others to our position.

Teal'c came to relieve my turn as dawn crept into day. Our lips met only briefly before I went back towards camp and he took up a spot near the river. He was looking at me when something, a symbiote, leapt out of the water arcing towards him.

I had to smile as without even taking his eyes from mine, his back to the flying symbiote, he shot it seemingly without effort.

Tau'ri men aren't the only ones who will do things to impress their wives.

When the others came I found I had been too caught up with what Sara would have called a romantic gesture, to come to the conclusion my husband did as the rest of our companions came into the area.

"One or more of you may have become host to a Goa'uld during your watch!" he told them after commanding them to lower their weapons, his Kara'bashaak'tak aimed at them at the ready to fire should one prove hostile.

Immediately now both Shaun'auc and I get his meaning, and gesture with my own 'staff weapon' as the Tau'ri call them, while Shaun'auc had to settle with the Zat'nik'tel she, Teal'c and I had holstered at our sides. All three of us aim in the direction of our friends and teammates as any or all, could be infected with a Goa'uld.

Sha're's story

"But neither Saman'tha nor I feels anything from anyone here Teal'c," I can't believe his statement, it is too unbelievable. Yet he is Teal'c, and I have more than once trusted him with my life and my Dan'yel. He has always proven that trust. I believe if Drey'auc had not come in with a Zat'nik'tel on that last day with Amonet, he would have shot me to save Dan'yel.

I am glad they both have their Zat'nik'tels now.

Slipping off my Goa'kesh'sha I hear Robert suggest something that had not occurred to anyone, or they had not mentioned it in my hearing.

"Daniel and I found no traces of Naquadah in the symbiote fossils. Maybe that's why…"

"That would explain what Teal'c says must be true O'Neill. You must believe him," I throw my support to Teal'c's claims.

Soon I am rewarded with restraints. Though not just I, but everyone save the Jaffa. Drey'auc is the one who bound my wrist and ankles, Shaun'auc Saman'tha's. They both go around to each member of our party to do the same while Teal'c watches us.

"What about Daniel?" Saman'tha asks, but I know the answer already.

"We will find him," Teal'c says nodding at his wife, Shaun'auc and AMEE.

"You're taking the robot?" Robert asks surprised, "I thought you were some hot shot tracker. Why do you need the bot?"

I don't understand why AMEE just does not remain here either. Teal'c can track without her, yet he asked O'Neill to trust him, and I know I do. There must be a reason, one he cannot speak of, though now he speaks to Major Co'burn back at the Chappa'ai.

"...That may be impossible to determine until we return with them to Earth," I hear Teal'c finish explaining to Major Coburn our situation no wiser to whatever he is planning than before.

"I can determine," we hear Robby say clearly, "With permission I will be en route, ETA four hours, twenty minutes."

O'Neill nodded and Teal'c passed it on with a single word, "Proceed."

Then they were gone.

Back and forth the conversations went concerning who was a Goa'uld. Some in jest, some in frustration, and I think some just to talk while we wait.

"All right, anybody with a snake in their head raise their hands!" It turned out to be the words to trigger the demon in poor Major Connor. His eyes flashed with light and he stood snapping his bonds.

I don't know why Jack was calling for Teal'c, surely he must be a distance from here. I suppose screaming for Robby would be equally as useless, but I want to scream something when the demon picks up a weapon to use.

Then Drey'auc was there, Zat'nik'tel in hand. Just with me, with Amonet, so she did with Raevon. He fell to his knees twitching, and then over onto his face. She lead the way followed by Shaun'auc and Teal'c who had his Kara'bashaak'tak ready to fire. I'm glad Drey'auc was ready, like with me, it could have ended in death if she had not been ready with a Zat'nik'tel.

We were retrieving our weapons when Teal'c was freeing Robert, I had been slipping on my Goa'kesh'sha when I spotted Robert's eyes glow, knock Teal'c aside as he grabbed the Kara'bashaak'tak and started to turn towards a surprised Drey'auc.

My hand was faster and he went flying, a no longer surprised Drey'auc snatched up her Zat'nik'tel and Robert was felled, though not dead as he might have been if I hadn't acted before Jack did. I saw him bring his weapon to bear. I am glad he trusted me for he had to have been ready to fire before I did.

"I had spotted how there was blood around his wrist, but no wound to explain the source of the blood," Teal'c looked down at Robert, "Clearly he had struggled, and his symbiote had healed him."

"I also hadn't seen him use his inhaler since last night," Saman'tha had volunteered as we gathered ourselves, Teal'c now checking each of our wrists and then I followed behind him healing wounds that gratefully all the rest of us had.

"Yeah he had been using it a lot before, so he probably just got his snake," Jack remarked as everyone retrieved their equipment.

"Okay, we'll need someone to look after them while we keep after Daniel," I knew from his tone he already had in mind who, "Drey'auc, you and Shaun'auc stay here and look after Connor and Rothman. Zat them if again if they give you any trouble."

"You may count on us, O'Neill," Drey'auc said to my relief. Not that I didn't think she wouldn't, but I thought Jack was going to ask me to stay behind. After all, Drey'auc is the more capable fighter, and yet since both Robert and Raevon have demons in them, a fighter is better to have to handle them.

Besides he must know I am here to find my Dan'yel.

I do not know if it was AMEE or Teal'c who lead us to the cave, but we arrived soon after Dan'yel had been here, or so Teal'c tells us from his examination of the remains of a campfire.

"Oh my Dan'yel," Jack gives me a brief smile maybe reflecting mine when we see a sign that had to be from him, written on the way directing us 'This Way' with an arrow pointing the direction we should go. He is well enough to stand up and to write that high on the wall.

AMEE leads the way with Teal'c following, and Jack makes sure I am behind him as he follows Teal'c. I only imagine Saman'tha is behind me.

"Don't, don't! Don't shoot!" my Dan'yel yells when we catch up to him in a large cave. Jack, Saman'tha, Teal'c and I certainly are ready to since it appeared as if out of the two Unas we see, one was ready to attack my Dan'yel.

His words stay my hand.

AMEE rises up on two legs and takes a stance that reminds me of how some of Amonet's Jaffa practiced Lok'nel, as I imagine, Teal'c, Drey'auc and Shaun'auc must still.

Other Unas come and AMEE charges at them like what I have seen on Tau'ri television, a panther or tiger. She pounces and attacks them as the larger Unas tries to my Dan'yel. I say try because he flies once I use my Goa'kesh'sha upon him.

Dan'yel uses more words I do not understand, then points to me saying 'mate.'

This...Chaka I think Dan'yel calls him, seems to understand that I am with him. I go to Dan'yel when he beckons me, he tries to hug me with hands bound, and I realize he wants to show us as together.

Again I think Chaka understands, and when Jack calls AMEE off from the other Unas, it looks like we will walk out without further violence. That is when the larger Unas tries to attack again, yet before I raise my hand of the gods, Jack and Saman'tha fire their weapons. The bullets riddle his body and yet he does not fall. I believe Teal'c was about to fire when he saw Chaka move.

That was when Chaka attacked, their battle ending in a shallow pool where Chaka drowns the other Unas.

With a roar the other Unas join in, Dan'yel explains to us that Chaka has become the leader of this tribe. "Dan'el," Chaka says my Dan'yel's name, and my husband speaks more words that must be Chaka's language.

Apparently one day we are allowed to return to talk with Chaka more.

Sara's summary

"I've got to get me one of these," were some of the first words I heard out of Jack's mouth as he came back through the gate triumphant. It was a day later and to say some of us had sleepless nights would be an understatement. We knew Daniel was safe a day after they went out to rescue him, but they were going to detour to find the Tok'ra to get the Goa'uld out of Robert and Raevon.

Chris caught up to Josiah who did find the remains of what may have been Unas possessed of Goa'uld before they started leaving through the Stargate. A kind of village or something, maybe a trading post. I imagine he and Daniel are going to get together to compare notes once they both get back. SG-7 has stayed to see if they could further a friendship with the Unas there.

Tolok did find Nyan and the rest of SG-11, they lost poor Sanchez, and still searching for two others, but at least Raevon didn't lose his entire team again. I imagine his pysch review isn't going to be pretty, and I don't know if Robert will want off world work again, but at least they're alive to have a choice.

Dave was just glad to drag Cameron from P3X-888 and the star faring Goa'uld dwellings when Unas were mainly their first host. As I understand it, he didn't have any qualms about dragging Cameron literally if he needed to. While Daniel gets away with a lot of things with Jack, Dave doesn't have that much give.

Not that my hubby is a push-over, it's just that he hides the fact that he knows what Daniel is doing is important. He blusters and grouses, but really it's all so we don't think he's a softie about it. Dave on the other hand, doesn't get it all the time. He is what Jack pretends to be, just doing his job and guarding the eggheads to do theirs.

Russ, I mean Captain Russell Griff, will temporarily lead the surviving SG-11 as they keep the dig site, with Nyan running it alone. He's by himself because there is no-way to convince Mallin to go back there. Conversely while Claire wants to go General Hammond is firm and will not send her into a potential combat zone.

On another front, General Hammond is unsure what to make of Ghranth's request that he and other Mondoshawan join the SGC. Two he is suggesting for SG-11 and a third for SG-15. I had heard that talks about a mostly alien unit was discussed, but I thought that was rumor. It sort of sounds racist to me, but then, I can't talk. I still shudder thinking about what is likely to happen with Teal'c, Drey'auc and Shaun'auc.

Part of me would have wanted to have been around when they were both together guarding Robert and Raevon, but most of me could guess what they were talking about and no, some things I just don't want to know. If it's what I think it is, I do not want to be invited to the ceremony.

My job may say differently though.

Well I'm not going to think about it until they bring it up. Right now I'm just going to join my hubby in bed and close this diary up for the night. Glad that he's a one-woman man and I'm a one-man woman. We may not be each other's first ones, but we're each other's only ones.

Author's note: slight crossover with the movie Red Planet, I liked AMEE from it. Also correcte in the original script what was Sergeant Corburn though the actor who played him was the same who played Major Corburn in an earlier episode. Went with continuity for that one.


	9. Scorched

Author's note: Sorry about the long delay, I wrestled with this chapter for most of the time and finally decided that a short update is hopefully better than no update.

Scorched

Sara's diary

I really shouldn't be relieved that Shaun'auc is off world with SG-1. She's nice enough, a priestess and all, its just I am still a bit creeped out about what is likely going on with her, Drey'auc and Teal'c. Nothing is ever said, but it's the way those three act. Oh well, different doesn't mean wrong, and in this case we're talking alien on top of not the way we do things in the good old US of A.

Well one thing we do in America is drive. Not everyone, at least one would not think it to see the quality of drivers out there. However in general, many of us drive. Some because they have to, others for the feeling of independence. It was with that latter point in mind that I took it upon myself to try and teach Sha're how to drive. I guess I was feeling pretty confident having taught Drey'auc, but then that woman loves to do what she considers dangerous things.

This is where my friends differ. Sha're will -do- dangerous things. While she would charge into danger to help others, she would not voluntarily go into what she considers a dangerous situation without a good reason. So my problem was twofold as one she considers cars dangerous, and two she doesn't see why she should learn to drive one.

After all, Daniel, or myself or even an Airmen will do the driving for her, so her need to learn on her own would be like asking her to learn to fly an airplane or death glider. It isn't going to happen without a very good reason. Fortunately she provided one herself.

"Dan'yel needs me to learn to drive," she mentioned one lunch while SG-1 were off world, "He comes home so tired many times. I think I should be the one driving us home instead of himself."

At first I thought Daniel put her up to it, which I wouldn't mind a bit, just thought it was a bit out of character for him. He tends towards the selfless, he'll help others kind of guy. Claire corrected any misconceptions I had.

"I keep thinking I should stick around more when SG-1 is due back," she had mentioned when we went over the latest Jaffa cultural notes, "However Danny wouldn't like it if his mom hung out to wait up for him to come home. It's okay for his wife, but not his mother. Still that poor boy is so tired some of those mission, I wish I had been around to drive him and Sha're home."

Sha're wasn't there, but she must have either heard from someone else Claire's lament, or had been thinking along those lines herself. I do drive Jack sometimes, and I stress the sometimes as that big lug has to be the man and drive us home. I love it, he wants to take care of me, not be a burden, but it really is stupid.

Somehow all of that translated to the driving lessons I've been giving Sha're. When we progressed to the parking lot, she was doing fine. Our last outing on a main road did not go so well. After my temper cooled I thought maybe it was good that Sha're got the bad driver encounter over with and had her experience out of the way. It turned out that burned her big time with driving.

It's taken more than a few talks, but finally we're off to driving again today.

I saw Sha're in the parking lot waiting for me, staring at the government car we get to use. I didn't realize she didn't hear me come up, she's usually very good about that. However not this time, and from the way she starts I thought I might have to go grab Janet to perform CPR.

Okay yes I'm trained, but it makes a better diary entry I think.

"It'll be alright," I said hoping to calm her down, our last experience on the road wasn't a good one, "We're just going to practice in the parking lot again. We won't go to the road, it will be fine."

"But our home is not in the parking lot. I need to be able to drive Dan'yel home as he's usually so tired when he gets back from travels through the Chappa'ai."

What could I say to that? It's what I do with Jack when he's too tired after a mission. I can't fault Sha're there, but I will not aide and abet her going out on the road before she's ready.

She didn't really surprise me that soon she was ready to leave the parking lot again.

Residential driving had her a nervous wreck and this was legal, staying-at-the-limit kind of driving, or that was my intent. We were actually sub-limital, yes made up word, going below the speed limit. The tailgaters and honking didn't help either. I'm rather mixed feelings about forcing Sha're to stay in the driver's seat and at least drive us back to base.

I wanted her to stay with it, not give up or give into her fears. I mean she's been in combat, used the Goa'uld hand device thingie against attacking aliens, I would think she would be fine with honking humans.

Yet for some reason they unnevered more than legions of Jaffa, Goa'uld and whatever that race was that infiltrated the SGC. I think Re'tu unnerved her less than aggressive drivers, poor thing. She so wants to do this for her husband.

I'm just not sure I'm the gal to get this job done, however like Jack in many of missions, I'm the only one to get this done.

Drey'auc's day

Standing, guarding, looming, it is not as my husband would say what we did on P5S-381, but it is what I felt we did. Much of the work was done by the Enkarans and SG-11. Our part was finding and scouting the world. A task mainly of the Tau'ri database and then Major Carter's many test. SG-8 arrived later to conduct subsequent ones before the re-settlement began. SG-10 conducted an aerial survey far and wide using a Cha'pal jeet, what Master Bra'tac called a cha'tak until corrected by Tolok. The Tau'ri still call them a gate glider as they call a Udajeet a Death glider.

Now that was mainly SG-1 and for that we are hailed as the heroes of their people. I know why Colonel O'Neill looked uncomfortable beyond his humility as the great leader he is. There was more to getting the Enkarans settled here than what we overtly did. SG-8 confirmed this place would be healthy, SG-10 flew made a wide sweep to insure no-one else lived here, and SG-11 helped them build the homes as well as an infrastructure to change a place from a collection of tents to places one may raise generations.

"So as you can see, Shaun'auc this is not all fighting to be done with SG-1," I explain as we walk around this encampment that will hopefully become a village to live in one day.

"Still there is much Teal'c could do leading our people more directly," Shaun'auc brings up a point she has said before, although not often in words, more in her looks.

"Without the Tau'ri we would still be under the false god Apophis, and you..." I couldn't really say it, not even in a moment of heat. They were not words neither Teal'c nor I could find ourselves to speak.

Shaun'auc looked off, "Perhaps I could get sightless faith that the Tau'ri speak of." I smile as this is one of the few phrases I know.

"Blind faith, Shaun'auc," I gently correct and see a twinkle in her eyes, she plays the same game Teal'c and I do at times with the words of the Tau'ri.

We shared a smile, and then she looked as if another thought had come to her.

"Is that not what is the problem here? The Enkarans will only see this place as their new home, and the Gadmeer who also see the same yet not the other side's dilemma with their decision. Each condemns the other to death and yet doesn't wish to."

Sha're's story

I can't do it, I won't do it, I have to do this. Dan'yel would be so proud of me, but it's so scary. Sara taught this to Drey'auc, so it should be something I can learn. Although as my Dan'yel would say, on the other arm, Drey'auc likes diving in the sky and other very scary things. There is so much to keep track of and I have to pay attention to what others are doing at the same time!

Learning to cook in a Tau'ri kitchen was far easier than learning to drive.

Fast, fast, fast, everyone wants to go so fast. I want to understand each step before we go onto the next and go slowly, no faster than a Mastadge, but Sara says that is too slow. When we went on our first time on a road with others, all sorts of rude noise making, 'honking' I think Sara said it was called, was done behind me. I could not see why they didn't just go around me, they would anyway.

I refused to try and drive for a week and fortunately Dan'yel was away helping Enkarans at their new home to ask me how it went. He will ask, I know he will and I will want to say it went well.

'Once scorched, twice timid' is the phrase I think describes my mood, only to find out from Sara the Tau'ri saying is 'Once burned, twice shy.'

I can do this, I can do this. Just get in the metal Mastadge and tell it like I would back home that I am in charge.

If a Mastadge knows you're afraid it is he not you who guides where it goes. So I will not be afraid. I will get in this car and guide it the way I want it to go.

Remember red means stop, green means go, yellow means go faster. Wait, that was Drey'auc's way. I shouldn't do it her way. She's a brave Jaffa warrior. I am brave too, just not a warrior in the same way.

"Sha're," I jump not realizing it was just Sara. I am glad she does not tease me as I learn to breathe again and force my heart back down my throat.

"It'll be alright. We're just going to practice in the parking lot again. We won't go to the road, it will be fine."

"But our home is not in the parking lot. I need to be able to drive Dan'yel home as he's usually so tired when he gets back from travels through the Chappa'ai." I am surprised the words come out as I stare at the car just waiting to scare me in some new way.

It found a way.

Well not it specifically, at first it was Sara who scared me when we finally left the base's parking lot. "You're doing great Sha're. Checking the mirrors to see what's around us a little too ofte...Sha're at the next red light stop the car, put it in park, get out and come around to my side of the car. Be sure to come around the front of the car, not the back."

Her tone scared me more than anything else. She wasn't trying to frightening, but I knew there was trouble and it was absolutely important I do precisely what she said as if she were Jack. Dan'yel I might question, but never Jack, not when he was like this.

Passing each other I noticed other cars behind us, and only once I was back inside did Sara say anything more, "Buckle up and hold on!"

"But it's still red!" I shouted as she must have stomped on the accelerator. I went back into my seat and wondered what new rule this must be. Shortly after, I heard the screech of tires and turning around I saw one of those black cars that on television always mean the bad guys are after you.

Now I had more reasons to be afraid of cars, they get you into trouble!

Bracing myself, Sara turned the car this way and that, taking corners sharply. Once I thought we lost them as the television people would say, only to have Sara use the brakes quite quickly, the seat belt catching me from falling forward. I saw the black car up ahead, they were trying to block our passage along this one street. Then she began to back us up, very fast. For a while she didn't turn the car around, but drove backwards up the street and away from our pursuers.

"Sara!" my world spun as she did the car, and then the tires screeched as we shot forward again. We made it to the highway, going around other cars in a manner I am sure Sara would have said was wrong to do if I tried to drive in this fashion. When she took us into the other lanes where the cars went the other way, I couldn't look any more. I just hid my eyes behind my hands and hoped I would get to see my Dan'yel one last time. I believed I knew where she was taking us. Back to the stronghold, back to base, to the mountain.

When I heard that awful honking fade, and our swerving seem to settle, I looked up and the mountain loomed ahead of us. Guards on either side of the gate brought up guns, but not pointed at us. They were pointed at those who chased us.

Sara turned the car sideways and there was this horrible screeching sound along with the smell of something burning, then blessed mother we stopped.

"Mrs. O'Neill, Mrs. Jackson," an airmen said as they surrounded our car to see how we were doing, "Are you alright?"

"No!" later I wouldn't believe the words came out of my mouth, I don't even remember removing my safety belt, just suddenly marching away from that car. "Mrs. Jackson? Mrs. Jackson!" the airmen called after me, but it was Sara who caught up with me. "Sha're..."

"I will never, ever, EVER, get inside one of those things again!"

Sara's summaries.

It was the NID. Jack confirmed it when he got back with a few friends he still had in the shadowy side of the force, but it was Ezra who first put all the pieces together while SG-1 was off saving the Enkarans and apparently some race called the Gadmeer. SG-7 had been recalled and I think it was because General Hammond suspected Jack was going to try and go around the 'not attack' orders he was given. He's not saying, Chris is not saying, and certainly George can't say. If he admits it, then he has to go through with some kind of disciplinary action and SG-1 had saved the day again.

More like the stubbornness of one bespectacled archeologist who didn't listen to his Jack-want-to-make-go-boom team leader. He didn't say it like that, but I know my husband. I don't fault him either. It is more often than not the right answer with everything encountered out there.

I suppose that stubborn streak worked well with Sha're too, as I understand it from Walter, Daniel did take his wife home -in- their car.

I'm sure Sha're will get over being afraid of cars... eventually. She'll have to or decide to live on base or at home without a way of getting back and forth. I know her, she won't settle for that. She'll be back in a car, it just may take a while that's all.


	10. Out of Sight

Out of Sight

Sara's diary

Kosh showed up late last night. Gave the night shift a heart attack from what I'm hearing this morning. Of course why he's hear isn't apparent not yet. Something is wrong, I can feel that. Something must have happened, and I think last night. I had this creepiest dream that something happened to Jack. That's not that unusual when he's away with SG-1 on a long mission. A diplomatic one this time to P3R-118.

Jack had to laugh at that, SG-1 diplomatic? It brings a smile to my face just remembering him telling me about that one.

"It's not that unusual if you think about it Jack," I know he knew this, yet I think he just wanted to hear me say it out loud, "SG-1 is the flagship team and all. We both know SG-9 is the diplomatic team, but the powers-that-be want to put the best foot forward and that means SG-1." I couldn't help the mishief impulse, "Sadly I guess that means you too Jack."

"Moi?" I found myself chuckling already as he starts up, "I'm the picture of diplomacy. I'm all for join us or die approach. Isn't that the way things work out there?" We shared a good laugh before my hero had to head out to hopefully get us another ally.

It was still night on P3R-118 when the call came through. Apparently SG-1 went out to explore a glacier and was lost or something. Search parties were looking for them, but their big shot, Administrator Calder doesn't have much hope.

Well we have.

Jack and SG-1 have been through too much for anyone here to expect them to simply have been lost to the elements, and for that matter why would Sam have them go out there without the right equipment? I mean if there was something uber important, maybe. Its that maybe that has a lot of holding off judgment about what really going on, but I for one smell a lie.

Lunch time rolled around and still no progress from Calder's people so General Hammond is sending in a team to go look for them. One -properly- equipped for a search and rescue. SG-2 and 6 will be going in to look. George wants to send a gate glider through for an aerial search but Calder says there aren't any large exits to the outside from the dome city they have. Not one large enough for the glider.

They're shipping AMEE down from Moonbase Alpha in a couple of hours. Major Griff is leading the two teams to where SG-1 is claimed to have gone. I feel better about this now that Robby will also be going. Save for K-9, Robby's got the best sensors we know about, human or alien. Well maybe short of the Asgard, but you never know with Robby.

"They're going to send K-9 along too," Claire said when we finally set down at lunch, "The only reason why they hadn't considered him at first is he's not really made for uneven ground, much less mountainous or glacial. But Silar suggested using a FRED so now he's going."

"K-9 has the sensors, and add in Robby and AMEE ... well they'll find SG-1," in hindsight I think I was talking more to myself than either Claire or Janet.

"Ghranth is going too," Janet threw in wanting to cheer us up somehow. Her cheer rang a bit forced, and I can tell despite the attempt to cheer, she was in a grumpy mood that had little to do with exhaustion from helping SG-6 prepare to go out onto a glacier nor with the big G going.

While it is true the Mondoshawan are helpful allies, they are not very useful in a fight. Fortunately, hopefully, a fight is the last thing that is going to happen during the search. I'm not sure why Janet is grumpy. On second thought, I have no idea what is troubling her. Whatever it was I don't think it had anything to do with what's going on here. Maybe some trouble with Cassie or Roger?

"I don't like it that Kosh arrives to study Sha're like some specimen," Janet finally let out what was bothering her. I admit I didn't like it either, but the fact he showed up and with all that Ina'kalesh business means whatever happend SG-1 is definitely alive and that means to me Jack is alive. Still this was a better reason to be grumpy than say something wrong on the familial or dating front. Claire seem to sag a little as if Janet spoke what was on her mind, but didn't feel right to say out loud herself.

"It does give General Hammond more of a leverage to talk to Calder. He's claiming nothing could survive out there and we have more than SG-1's surviving the odds, we have that Ina'kalesh thing between Sha're and Daniel. It's nothing proven in any court of law, but we know and that's enough, right?"

"Right," I threw in when it was apparent Janet wasn't going to reply. We ate in silence for a bit and then Claire got up.

"I'm going to take Sha're something to eat."

"We'll check in later, Claire," as I suspect if Sha're isn't coming out of her room, neither will her mother-in-law. I'll look in on them later.

Later turned out closer to night and far from noon. The report Major Griff gave to General Hammond was bad. I don't think I was able to work at all after George called me into his office to tell me the news. Now I was to go and tell Claire and Sha're. Not something I was looking forward to either.

I shouldn't have been taken back by the guards outside Sha're's room. They weren't for her after all, but our guest, Kosh. Though in away I suppose they were for her in case something happened. Not that Kosh has given us any reason to expect anything bad or he wouldn't have been left alone with Sha're in the first place.

This wasn't the longest Kosh remained, but the days were adding up. Of course I was aware of that for a completely different reason with Jack gone. It was one thing when I knew he was just off on a diplomatic mission. I could go home and just miss him at the table for a meal, on the sofa watching whatever nonesense was on, or in bed beside me.

Now knowing he was in trouble, I didn't want to go home. Claire was the one who suggested we introduce to Sha're the 'ancient' custom of a sleep over. This time her place on base. I did have to go home for that, but it was a momentary toss nightwear into a bag sort of thing. Grab some DVDs, stop off at Claire's, use her key, follow her directions and then head back to base.

It was hard ignoring Kosh was we tried to act as normal as one might at a proper sleep over, one I hadn't have in years. Which of course I'm not saying in this diary.

But Kosh wasn't leaving, and Sha're wouldn't hear about sending him away.

I'm guessing Claire the anthropologist came out to promptly ignore Kosh. She was also in teacher mode, something she's been for the last twenty or so years and 'letting' Kosh watch was like she was demonstrating for both him and Sha're.

She had it mostly right. Although my contribution of painting toe nails was hard at first. Claire seem to ignore Kosh just fine, but I was a little self-conscious at first.

The next night was more relaxed, and by the third it was more a routine to sleep in the same room. Kosh had long since been regulated to part of the furniture status, although not so much that either Claire or I changed in front of him.

Sha're nor Claire thought a thing about the three of us sharing a bed, but I know if Jack heard about this the jokes and innuendoes wouldn't stop for weeks. Of course that means he'd be back and it would be alright.

Well, almost.

Major Griff was due back today. After days of searching they turned up nothing and in away that's a relief. I didn't want them to find bodies, but that means they are somewhere Calder doesn't want us to know about. Not that its an original thought, I think General Hammond has that one too, in fact just about everyone one base has that thought.

Its one Major Griff prety much confirms as he and the SG teams return fom P3R-118. I wasn't on hand when they first returned, but he made it a point to sit me down and explain.

"Off the record, Mrs. O'Neill, I don't think SG-1 was ever up on that glacier. Robby, K-9 and AMEE all state that we were likely the first human beings up there in several years. Whatever is really happening, Administrator Calder is lying about it." I felt warmer hearing the partly good news from Griff, but it also means Jack's in trouble and being held and hidden away somewhere.

Griff seem to read my mind as he rose up and patted my hand, "Don't worry, Mrs. O'Neill. General Hammond has asked me to draw up a plan to go get them. and I have a few out of the box ideas on how to do just that. Working with the three bots and the big G has given me things to think about. Now I should go and let Mrs. Jackson know. I'm sure she'll be relieved to hear Dr. Jackson was never out there."

I remember nodding, and possibly giving Major Griff a smile as he left. That was also before I found out I was going to be part of his thinking out side of the box. Well, I'm sure he didn't mean to put me to work, but in a way I was glad to be doing something active.

Even this.

"Mrs. O'Neill I know you're going through a lot, but I need to know if I can count on you later today," George had said to me this morning. I keep going over the words in my head as I wait for the arrival of our latest alien guest.

"Fidgeting with that thing won't make it fit any better," Claire whispered as we waited at the base of the ramp. She wore a visor like I did, like the guards around me and presumably General Hammond would when he walked into the gateroom.

"I understand Linea is working on a drug or drops that will let us see them," Janet added from the other side of me as again I adjust the large visor I wore. It was small talk, whether to calm which one of us I wasn't sure.

In my own mind I practiced one more time the name of the Re'tu coming in response to Major Griff's plan.

Chakehalaote ... Chakehalaote ... Chakehalaote, I don't know where the Re'tu get their naming conventions, but from what Maureen sends back from her team on their world, its a human equivalent, the closest we could get to their actual names.

Now Maureen is one of those not bothered by the sight of a Re'tu, and if this helps get Jack back, I can't be either. I won't be.

"Mrs. O'Neill!" Charlene squealed as the teenager walked through the event horizon, saw me and ran down the ramp into my arms. "Sara!" came her brother's shout as he joined us at the ramp. It was good to see Charlie and Charlene again, and an unexpected surprise.

Then the Re'tu came.

I suppose I get it that both these human appearing kids feel they are Re'tu as well. Fast grown by them, I guess they are Re'tu. If we do something like that on Earth, we'd considered them Earthlings wouldn't we?

His, and I was told this is a him, eyestalks took in the gateroom in what I believe is a Re'tu way of gawking.

"Greetings, greetings," chirped from his translator box worn over his... neck ,and he extended a ... hand.

"I believe this is the manner of your people's way of saying hello. I am Chakehalaote. I suppose you would say Dr. Chakehalaote, but you may call me Chake. I understand that's easier on the human tongue."

General Hammond was now in the Gateroom, "Welcome Dr. Chakehalaote, and thank you for coming." From the way George spoke the name, he -had- to have been practicing.

"I just wish that one of the more aggressive members of my species was available for this, or up to spending time away from home," Chake, as I find myself thinking of, said and I recalled the briefing I received about him. In away he was like the Re'tu version of our Daniel or Josiah. He's here to study us.

While that is disturbing on some levels, a bit of hoisted on our petard on others, this also meant he as willing to go and look for SG-1 among the people of P3R-118.

Drey'auc's day

I know him and I know her. Not their names, but I feel we have more in common than the bandages we wear from that accident the three of us were caught in. He said the strangest things the other night. That he knew three other people as other names, that he knew me. When he said that strange name 'Drey'auc' it touched something within me. Made me want to remember and yet there is nothing more than a feeling something more in common than with the other ones who have a wound like my own and whose bandages must not be removed.

I know his name is Tor, yet that does not feel right. What does is the name he yelled, the one that shouldn't make any sense yet feels right. The name of Teal'c.

Yet he comes back firmly with the name of Tor and when I or any of the others he addressed ask him about what he said, he denies it. Although he keeps looking at me and the woman I have known as Shan.

"What is it Tor?" I finally ask, hoping he'd speak more about that name he called himself, Teal'c. Hearing it stirs such feelings inside me that are close and wonderful and I want to know more about.

"I wish I knew Dray. We shared the same accident, and have similar injuries, yet I cannot remember what happened and why the three of us were struck approximately in the same place."

"It is a mystery," my reply was more to hopefully get him to talk more. I found I loved hearing his deep rich voice and did not want him to move off to his section again. "I mean surely we know each other more than having been in the same accident."

"Not necessarily Dray. We might have just been passing in the same area, or assigned that area for that work period."

"I wonder what happened to us?" I ask hoping maybe he remembers, but really just to keep him talking.

"I have heard it is not unusual to not remember the details of a severe accident Dray."

It was time to go back to work and Tor's words left me with much to think about.

I didn't see him much as the days went by, but I thought about him often, and not just the words he spoke to me. From the times I passed by Shan, I believed she was thinking about him as well. Oddly I was not jealous, not like Kegan appears to be regarding Thera over Carlin. That was an ugly situation that felt unnecessary.

Even to my eye Carlin has no interest with Thera, nor she him. Her fears appear so unwarrented. They even felt offensive on some level and unlike Thera I did not feel as if she should just stand there and take it.

I don't know why I was on my way to 'explain' things to Kegan to leave Thera alone. It felt as if I made a promise to someone important to me and Carlin, that I would look out for him. Maybe she, and it did feel as if this was a she I made a promise to, maybe she died in the accient Tor, Shan and I were injured. I should ask Carlin. Maybe Tor was right and we did know each other.

What I saw up on the walkway to Brenna's office made me stop and shake with fear. What was worse was no-one else seem to see the thing walking behind her out of her office. She was calm as it scuddled around, its eyestalks swiveling one way and then the other. One looked my way and stopped and I felt as if I were looking back into that inhuman eye.

I do not know what stilled my tongue. I should be screaming or rushing up to attack it. Yet I didn't. Perhaps I was night sick and knew it. I did not want to be night sick, not like Tor was a week ago. What gave me courage was when I noticed the eye stalk moving to the left of me and stopping again. I looked and saw that Shan could see the thing too. However no one else could and that worried me.

It left and it was then that maybe I did realize I was night sick. I felt weak, woozy and as I approached Shan, she did me. It was not heard of for two to be night sick at the same time and yet we found ourselves holding each other up at first. Then others came over as we fell against each other, then to the ground. I barely heard a whistle, an alarm of something happening elsewhere.

I would not know until later that Tor had collasped moments after Shan and I did, causing some emergency that it took Carlin and Jonah to take care of.

When next I wake, the three of us are laying down on cots, Brenna is there and talking to Tor who is trying to get up. I am surprised that someone so powerful looking as Tor could be stopped by just a gentle hand on his shoulder. He must be very ill indeed and I find I want to care for him even as something in me screams this is wrong.

"I want you to rest! You'll stay here until you're well enough to work," she turns to Shan and I, "All of you. Stay here until you're well enough to work."

She had left, they all had left, leaving us alone laying there.

"Tor, Shan, did you see the creature too?" I had to ask, I did not wish it to be night sickness.

"I did," Tor replied astonished, "I ignored it as I did not wish to be night sick."

"I saw it too," Shan said, "Why only us?"

"I do not know. I do not..." it was getting harder to think again, to speak, "We should rest." And we did.

How much time passed was hard to say again. I woke up sweating and feeling very ill. I could hear Brenna near Tor, and a someone I recall tending to me, a healer of some kind.

"...his condition's getting worse. Here let me check his wound," he was saying, but was inexplicably stopped by Brenna. "Under no circumstances are you to remove those bandages…just make sure they continue to eat and drink."

Puzzled, I begin to drift off and miss that Tor started to take off his bandages after the others left. "Kel-no-reem..." I hear him say and it means something to me. He repeats, "Kel-no-reem." This time it was a command, not quest for the word and somehow I knew how to follow my Tor, my Teal'c to save our lives.

Sha're's story

Dan'yel is alive I know it, I feel it. The fact Kosh is here helps convince the others, not that anyone wants to give up on Dan'yel or any of SG-1. They want to believe me, and have done what Janet calls humoring me, yet when Kosh arrived it seem to mean more to them. I should be hurt, but really I am relieved. There was a small part of me wondering if I was just as Dan'yel would say wishful thinking.

"How did you know?" I finally have the courage to ask Kosh as he stood there with me in our room, Dan'yel's and mine not the room given to him to stay. Yet that courage was for nought as he did not reply, and I knew I could not force a reply out of him.

We stayed there while the others went to search for my Dan'yel and the others. I don't really know why I felt as if I should stay and clutch the picture of Dan'yel to my chest. For a while I just sat on our bed and rocked as I held his image to me. I remember Claire coming in at one time and giving Kosh a disapproving look. She had set a tray of food down on the nightstand and tried to coax me to eat.

I was not so good to my mother-in-law as Dan'yel would put it as I could be, as I should have been. I just didn't want to leave. It was important that I stayed. More important that I sleep now.

"Okay honey, but if you need anything, just let me know. You go ahead and rest," good mother helped me under the covers and then glanced at Kosh again, "Shouldn't you be leaving?"

Kosh said nothing and stayed, and as I feel asleep, I realized good mother was staying also.

I dreamed and in some dreams Dan'yel was with me. In others his face was there but not his name. His name was Carlin. He kept speaking to a strange woman whom I never saw before called Kegan. I think, I think she wanted to take my Dan'yel away, to be this Carlin.

I don't want him to be Carlin, I want him to be Dan'yel.

"Dan'yel!" I shout as I wake sitting up. Good mother is at my side in a moment.

"Sha're, honey, shhh...shh....it's okay. Daniel is not back yet, but he will be."

"We've got to go there," I just knew we did. This Kegan was trying to take my Dan'yel away I knew it and said it, seeing good mother not believe me the moment the words left my lips.

"It's just a dream Sha're, it's not real," then I saw doubt in good mother's eyes and she looked over at Kosh, "Is it?"

Kosh said nothing, which I found an answer in itself. "It is no dream good mother, not completely," I felt confident enough to say that with Kosh's silence. "Maybe it is like a vision? Something with meanings but nothing so direct?"

I could see I wasn't going to convince her. She has seen so much here among her people, and yet there were things she couldn't find herself believing, not yet. I think it is because she did not want to hope to have it be in vain.

I did not leave our room, good mother brought in food, often stayed for company. I think because she needed me as much as I did her with our Dan'yel gone. Kosh remained as well, many times as still as the furniture and yet he also was a comfort. He reminded me I wasn't dreaming, that somewhere out there my Dan'yel is alive.

Sara showed up with all sorts of bags and it looked as if she were moving in. I looked to her and good mother puzzled of course until good mother spoke up. "Sha're this is what we call a sleep over," she said and then turned to Kosh, "Ladies only." Yet Kosh only looked back and said nothing.

"Well never mind him," good mother went on, and proceeded to explain what a sleep over among the Tau'ri is all about. It meant they were going to stay over night with me! I wouldn't be alone, well with Kosh. It was like home. At home one is never alone like one is among the Tau'ri. When you are unmarried you stayed with your family, when married you went with your husband to start a new family. Our husbands rarely left like the do among the Tau'ri.

"Don't you have to ... go somewhere?" Sara asked Kosh one last time and when silence was her answer she gave up.

This sleep over was not just sleeping in the same room with me. There were all sorts of rituals attached to it. Out of all of them was the polishing of the nails. I had seen cosmetics of course, use some myself once Sara taught me how Tau'ri women use them. Amonet used them but in a different manner and I have no wish to emulate her.

What surprised me the most is when both good mother and Sara slept in the same bed with me. Tau'ri seem so separate and standoffish, they did not touch as often as we would back home. In away it must be like home where there were many things our women did just not in the view of the men.

I have much to learn and as the days came and went without my Dan'yel, both good mother and Sara returned to stay with me.

"...and so I am planning for a way to go and look for him, Mrs. Jackson," Major Griff finished as he stopped by to visit. So many had during the days since Dan'yel was officially missing. I should go out, see others, see Sara instead of her coming to visit me. I should go to Dan'yel's office, be there as I think good mother does when she's not working.

It was there that I jumped when Chakehalaote spoke up. I knew he was here to help find my Dan'yel, and saw him off with the others, I did not know he returned until this one heart stopping moment.

"He is alive and relatively well," Chakehalaote said from the seemingly 'thin air' that I have heard the Tau'ri speak of, "All are well. They don't remember who they once were, but it is not permanent. I heard the people of that city speak. The leader and his assistant believe it might be wearing off. I think what should be done, should be done quickly or soon."

Sara nor Claire seem surprised I was going with the rescue party. Chakehalaote will lead SG-2, 3, and 6 through the gate, with Robby and AMEE going first.

"I am surprised they're letting you go ma'am," came the polite Marine Second Lieutenant standing next to me. I hold up my hand of the gods and let it glow once.

"Oh, that would do it," he said as he gave a sheepish smile. I am sure Aiden Ford meant well as a new member of SG-3. He must have seen me looking at Major Griff in concern. I should not have caused him to believe I doubted him. He did well to send Chakehalaote to search for my husband.

I just miss Major Coburn and know what he must be going through as host for Camulus. Even with Robby, they could not rescue him, and Will feels so bad about losing him to the Goa'uld. We will get him back, we will find a way. Just like Major Griff did to locate my Dan'yel and like Dan'yel did to find and rescue me.

What little resistence at P3R-118 was removed by the time we entered through the Chappa'ai. AMEE was first through and we found two bodies, alive I find as I check them, my Ka'kesh'prim'ta ready to heal if need be. The need came later as Chakehalaote took the lead leaving SG-2 to guard the Chappa'ai.

We caught up with Calder and his guards right after a shot rang out. By the time we arrived a woman was down and bleeding, obviously the one shot. Dan'yel and I lock gazes and then I knew he remembered me, we didn't do much else until after I did what I could for this Brenna.

It had not surprised me that Calder's guards had been taken out by Teal'c and Drey'uac, the surprise came when I heard shot later and then the sound of falling glass. Hurrying with my Dan'yel we catch up to Jack, pistol still in hand as a multitude down in a factory look up at a shattered skylight and appear amazed by what they see of the city above.

I am sure Dan'yel will explain it all to me later. For now I'm just glad he is not out of my sight any longer.

Sara's summary

I didn't want to let the big lug go when he came back through the gate. I suppose after all the times he's gone missing I should use to this, but we both know I'll never get 'use' to this part of the SGC.

I -think- we got off a kiss before a crowd of people came walking through the gate, and Griff was herding them towards the infirmary and several of the larger spaces down here in the mountain. Over the years the SGC has been the temporary home to more than a few refugees and had prudently set aside spaces for unexpected guest that came in the many.

"You're serious? Your name really was Carlin?" I hear Claire say to her son as we sat exhausted around several tables in the commissary later on. "Oh Sha're I am so sorry. You were right."

I didn't want to say anything now, since I didn't actually say anything before, but I had silently agreed with Claire. I did have just enough doubt due to both Kosh being around and SGC weirdness factor to keep my mouth shut, yet up until now I thought Sha're was only dreaming. It was kinda of embarrassing really. After all the weirdness I've seen around the SGC, I should be quick to accept the weird, slow to accept a 'rational' explanation for things. With the SGC the rational reason is likely the wrong approach to take.

"So where is old Gandalf?" Jack asked more to break up the awkward moment.

"He left right after the rescue team did," was my assist to my husband's efforts, everyone knowing that he was talking about Kosh.

"So Teal'c, Drey'auc, why were you two over the guards before our trained AMEE could reach you?" I asked to further distance us from the awkwardness and listened to them explain how once their bandages were off they knew they were different and then it was a matter of one deep and long Kel-no-reem session for our Jaffa friends to regain their memories and be healed.

That's how -I- understood it at least.

I was not alone jumping when Chake spoke up suddenly. Those not in my company were Jack, the Jaffa and Daniel, the latter was just too tired or focused on his wife to notice the origin of the voice speaking didn't have a visible body to go along with it.

"You have received the Linea treatment for your symbiotes?" Chake asked our Jaffa friends, "I noticed you could see me back at P3R-118."

I understand he's going to be staying on as part of the SGC. It is really going to take time for me to get use to someone so out of sight as Chake is going to be.


	11. Don't Laugh!

Don't Laugh!

Sara's diary

Jack couldn't stop laughing. He had even come down the ramp nearly doubled over despite, how it looked like they had been in a firefight of some kind. Even Sam was smiling and seemed on the verge of a giggle, not that she would in the gateroom, not with so many eyes on her. Daniel was shaking his head, but he also had a smile that spoke of a laugh that wanted to come out but it would feed Jack's too much to let it out.

Only our Jaffa trio seemed stoic, and I say seemed as they had those little signs I've come to recognize with Drey'auc at least that meant they were amused but weren't going to be overt about it.

"A frog?" Jack finally said as General Hammond walked in, and not to his superior either, but to Daniel and Teal'c it seemed, "A frog?" Incredulity oozed from his accusation, not a question really.

"Well Huh is depicted as a frog, or as a man with the head of a frog in ancient Egyptian mythology," Daniel tried to defend and I think I know where this was coming from. General Hammond was the one to outright ask. I am guessing 'Huh' is the Goa'uld they just faced and not an expression of surprise, bewilderment, or disbelief.

"Are you saying you just faced Jaffa with frog helmets, like Apophis' Serpent guard or Heru-ur's Horus helmeted guards?" this question of course doubled Jack over, fortunately Daniel kept his wits about him.

"Yes, General Hammond, that's precisely it," he answered and then that look of 'I have to defend mythology' came to his face that I knew so well, "He does represents infinity, and is part of the Ogdoad. The eight Egyptian deities who were especially worshipped in Hermoplic in Upper Egypt. They formed the basis of the creation myths..." Now that Daniel was in his bailiwick of explaining he tried even harder to combat Jack's laughter with facts.

"Th-the Ogdoad were made up of four goddesses and four gods, the goddesses were represented as either frogs or humans with frog heads..." but Jack wasn't having anything of that.

"Colonel O'Neill," George said in that 'this is a warning to stop it' tone of voice.

"I'm sorry sir, I'm sorry," he said straightening up and barely getting himself in control. I knew him, it was barely too. His lovely eyes were still sparkling with mocking laughter what would erupt again once he left the gateroom.

"So Dr. Jackson are there just this one Goa'uld taking this up or are we facing eight?" Hammond asked with our Danny boy turning to Teal'c who surprisingly turned to Shaun'auc.

"I have heard of the Ogdoad from another priestess I know," which I sensed there was more than she was letting on. Not the suspicious 'she's-about-to-betray-us' kind of suspicion, more that she whatever she knew more it was important to keep secret.

"They do number eight and supposedly were responsible for many of the Goa'uld innovations in the beginning."

"So Kermit and company developed the technology our Goa'uld of today use?" Jack asked as serious as he was going to get for the moment. Shaun'auc just inclined her head in a very Teal'c way of saying yes.

"Well this should be quite the debrief, stand down SG-1, I'll see you momentarily," George dismissed them, and I could swear he also had a twinkle in his eyes. He was going off to laugh himself, but of course he couldn't be seen doing that, dignity and all. It was challenged a beat later.

"Ribbit, ribbit," Jack said as they walked off in the opposite direction of our General.

"Colonel!" Hammond reproved, but after Jack had left, he shook his head with a smile. I could see it on his face, it was going to be one of those days.

I didn't know how right I was, but in a very wrong way.

As if it didn't start off with a twist, at least the day let lunch and a moderately slow afternoon almost go by before it through its next one at me.

I did not expect to be called in on a meeting with SG-1, its not my job description typically and when it does it means I'm about to meet an alien that we're reasonably sure isn't a threat, and want to hand them over to a civilian attaché, aka me.

Granted I am -still- getting use to the last one that entered my life of late. Chakehalaote, or 'Chake' as my husband more than willingly takes him up on the name to call him, has at least been persuaded to wear a scarf around what a Re'tu would likely call a neck. No-one has suggested a bell yet, but if you're not paying attention to a floating scarf nearby, he still startles one, okay me.

If it weren't for all the apologies that follow after my near yipe, and I don't normally yipe, yelp, or any other y word one could name, I would say he's sneaking up on me on purpose.

Jack doesn't, but then Jack -always- spots the scarf and knows when our sociologist Re'tu is about.

At least Sha're and Janet also reacts the same as I do, with Sam, Drey'auc and Shaun'auc too calm in my opinion, I was feeling a bit insecure.

Quite like I had been during the meeting.

"Any ideas why I'm here?" I asked Jack, unfortunately again.

"Nope."

"Another visiting alien?"

"Nope."

"An ally I need to shadow?"

"Nope."

"An.."

"Nope.

He had the good sense to pretend he hadn't interrupted me by continuing his doodling on the pad of paper. The one saving grace is it wasn't anything Ancient-y that anyone could tell.

I was also happy, in an odd way, that no-one else knew what this meeting was about. When Daniel, Sam, Teal'c and Drey'auc trickle in not one of them had an idea why General Hammond called this meeting, nor more importantly in my book, why -I- was asked to come.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, people," George Hammond came in at last. Now maybe I would find out why I'm here.

You know, after a few fast forwards of a crack-pot's ranting about alien conspiracies and such, my interest shifted from trying to guess why I'm here to not laughing about this poor guy. I can see Jack smirking, and I think what kept him from laughing was the memory of a very unhappy Hammond with my Colonel's less-then-professional demeanor this morning upon his return to the SGC.

All urges to laugh came later on when he began describing the Stargate and I found out why I was here.

He wanted me to come meet him.

Well, not just me, Jack and myself. Apparently he thinks if Jack brings his wife he's less likely to do violence for fear of my getting hurt. Kinda sweet, kinda weird, and kinda smart all rolled up into one.

"Now, Mrs. O'Neill, I can't ask or order you to go to this meeting," General Hammond began and strangely I could feel the protest bubbling up within me. What's the matter with me? I'm not Drey'auc or Sha're. You don't put me out in the field.

"We can have someone else pretend to be her," Denial suggested after a sound Jack made cut the General off with an 'excuse me -Colonel-' look. Danny-boy to the rescue.

Sadly I had to agree with T, "If they know of the Stargate here, and both O'Neills, is it not logical that he would know an imposter if someone else goes?"

"Logical or not, Sara is not going," Jack declared in a voice that had become rapidly serious.

"Colonel, we need to know what this man knows. We need to know who he is and how he found out about a highly classified national secret. Now every precaution will be taken to safeguard your wife. Besides Colonel, you opened the door with letting civilians on your team, you'll just have to live with some of the side effects." I could tell George was steamed, partly from the look in his eyes, partly from the fact Jack didn't say a thing.

I think part of the problem is he didn't want to send me, that he was angry at himself. If he hadn't opened the door with that non-disclosure offer years ago when Crystal Charlie brought Jack back into my life, we wouldn't be having this conversation now. I'm sure Jack would have made up some story about a clone, secret project and let me go my way, and he went his.

I sometimes wonder what life would have been like if George hadn't done that.

"We could ask Chake to go along," Danny suggested in an off-hand manner that I knew in my gut was calculated to offset tempers, both George's and Jack's.

Well, it re-directed it.

"Are you out of your mind, Doctor Jackson?" George did look less angry now as incredulity overtook him, "We cannot let him off this base at this time. The Pentagon won't hear of it. You know what it took to get a pass for Teal'c and his family? Your own wife might have been a problem had she not been your wife."

"Well, no-one has to," and Daniel paused as if trying to look for another word or someone else to say what he wouldn't, "To know you know. He's like ... invisible and all. Take off the scarf and we can say we didn't know where he went."

For a moment I almost thought George was going to do just that. Then he shook his head, this time with smile coming to his face, "No son, I can't do that. If we're going to involve an ally in our affairs, we're going to do this right. I'll make the call to the President. I'm sure a case for national security will smooth things over."

He stood up, which meant this meeting was over, "If all goes well, you leave in thirty minutes people."

"Jack," I began with an attempt at being good-natured ten minutes later, "Won't my wearing armor underneath my clothes be obvious? He asked me to come as a way of showing he won't be threatened. Kinda defeats that purpose if I'm wrapped up in Kevlar."

Jack opened his mouth. Jack closed his mouth. "Fine. But I want Chake nearby and ready at all times to protect you."

"Not that we can see him without obvious alien technology visors," I grumbled and tried to be good naturedly about it as Jack let me take off the armored vest he talked me into putting on a few minutes ago. It was nice the way his eyes followed me appreciating what he knew was underneath.

"I presume he'll be armed with one of those Re'tu plasma guns blaster thingies the others seem to have as standard equipment?" Jack asked me as if I was the Re'tu expert, oh wait, my job is his attaché too, so yes I should. Jack wasn't going to like it, but better from me than someone else. I'll try a comparison.

"Oh yes. I understand he's been compared to as the Re'tu answer for Danny. You know, armed archeologist and all that."

I could see the words 'For Cryin' Out Loud' form in his eyes, but the fact Chake was going with us at all kept him from saying anything.

"Does that include having to die several times a year?" Jack's tone was now teasing as he took me into his arms, he was giving his tacit blessing on this, so better go with it.

"Oh yes. Comes back from the dead in that same, no-one-could-have-survived-that-and-lived sort of way."

"I don't actually plan on dying Mrs. O'Neill."

Yes I jumped. Jack didn't so much flinch. I knew it was irrational and incredibly unfair, but right then I just wanted to slap my husband for being so unflappable.

Now if that laugh in his eyes made it to his mouth ... oh was he so going to get a slap, or a good finger waggling scolding.

Chakehalaote road in a truck. I mean he wasn't fitting into a car that Jack and I took. Fortunately Re'tu can scuttle along rather quickly when they want to. I'm hoping our sociologist is in great shape.

Not that he had to hurry to get there. Jack and I were at a table and waiting long before our wacko showed up. I would normally chide myself for the term, but the man looked like a cliché. A geek someone casted in a TV show instead of a real conspiratorial theorist. Not that I know any to compare to.

The Witwicky's come the closest, but my neighbors tend to rationalize and adapt. I know I'm looking at them in painful hindsight, but took Charlie's death, explained it to their son Sam and absolutely forbid the boy from ever locking himself anywhere in their home, like our Charlie did on the day he shot himself.

There I can write that and not break down. It still hurts just as much, but I am learning to face it.

Well, Martin, as the man introduced himself, looked too cliché for me to really believe he was one. So that left questions of what was he really. Me I was thinking NID set up. Maybe they wanted us to bring Chake out of the SGC to nab him like they tried to snatch Drey'auc on her first year on Earth, and Sha're this year.

Okay, maybe -I- am the paranoid conspiratorial theorist after all.

I could see the look in Jack's eyes. He didn't believe Martin at all. He took the whole cliché and accepted it. That was my read of his reaction, and I only doubt my take because he had that humorous gleam in his eyes. It could have been to humor Martin, but he could also have been playing his big dumb colonel act for me too. Sometimes that man has too much fun.

But seriously, he probably wasn't. Not on in mission mode ... I hope.

Drey'auc's Day

"You know I've never been on a stakeout before. Shouldn't we have donuts or something?" I heard Daniel Jackson say and indeed I also wandered that.

"Is it not the custom Major Carter?" Shaun'auc asks out of her interest in some of the more obscure of Tau'ri customs. Samantha Carter gave us a helpless look, and then glared at Daniel Jackson before striking him in what I believe is a rebuking fashion not meant to actually hurt him.

"Does that mean since my husband is not with us, he does not get any?" I ask not wishing to lose sight of this matter. I do realize it is minor considering what I understood letting four aliens outside the Stronghold was a matter of great importance. Shaun'auc, Teal'c and I only because we can sense Chakehalaote. It was a provision that those over General Hammond had stated.

Our discussion of donuts almost has us miss what the Komalento had found out.

"...not surprising to find out he was arrested for protesting outside of TV station. Something about sub..." Ezra Standish took one look at both Shaun'auc and I and I sure changed the wording of what he was about to say, "mind control. It had to do with mind control."

"Its a nice thing the General let you out of the mountain, Ezra," Daniel said by way of complimenting, "Do you have a current address for him."

Ezra Standish gave Daniel Jackson a very long look for which he Daniel Jackson appeared what the Tau'ri call sheepish, though I am no expert on sheep.

"Okay, you're good with computers I got that."

"Yes, Dr. Jackson so I am. With this I could get the prescription of his glasses if I wanted."

Again Ezra Standish proves why he is known by Vin-ko-taneck-o-pentay as the Komalento, 'Wise counselor' for he has many talents we do not possess. When we arrived at this Martin Lloyd's home, he was able to get us in without damage to the lock or door. We are fortunate Captain Larabee has let him help us.

Once inside we see many things, some familiar from the Science Fiction Convention Cassandra Frasier has taken us to in the last several years. I had been forbidden to dress up as a Klingon again or if I do not to win any more awards that attract attention to myself.

"These are much like what we see in the Dealer's room," I point out to Samantha Carter, which elicits a smile from her. She remembers our times with Cassandra Frasier and the others at the Conventions.

I miss seeing Shaun'auc pick up what I remember as being described as a toy for Tau'ri children of all ages. She points and presses the trigger, then looks at it. "It would appear this weapon is ineffective," she said like Teal'c or I might have, yet without our humor.

"It is not a real weapon, Shaun'auc," Daniel tries to explain as I watch Ezra Standish search with an air of competency that is assuring as it raises questions. I do understand why Shaun'auc was interested. What many Jaffa don't realize about the priesthood is they are the technicians of the Goa'uld. They fix what the rest of us think of as magic, granted this ability by their 'gods' when in reality they have been taught. Technomancers I believe Master Bra'tac had translated the term for what they do.

Technology would be an interest of hers, though she is not as good a technician as other priest having spent most of her time on the meditation quest of hers.

Toy or not, I see she wishes to take it apart to see how it works. Ezra Standish takes it from her. "Perhaps not. We've already left evidence we've been here. Let's not make it obvious."

"How? We wore gloves," Samantha Carter asks, as for me, if Ezra Standish says we have, we have and that is the end of the matter. Just as I trust Teal'c to know his way around a battle, I know Ezra Standish knows his way when it comes to the shadow world of stealth, deception and information gathering.

He is a valuable asset to SG-7 and those of the Stronghold.

Ezra Standish proves it again when he turns from one statue and mouth to us, 'We are being watched.' He motions us to leave and once outside of the door, he speaks aloud as he looks around and shakes his head. "Have to be remote. If I had some of my gear I might have been able to track it. As is they had to have stopped when we left."

"So Martin really -is- being watched?" Daniel Jackson asks incredulously, and I can see Samantha Carter also has doubts as well.

"Oh yeah. Not cheap either. Visual, possibly audio, with thermal scan capability. Who ever they are, this isn't stuff snatched off the shelf at Radio Shack," I see him hesitate as if a thought came to him, "Well maybe the components, but nothing like the form they left the store as."

"Then we should call in something a lot more prof.." Daniel Jackson began with Ezra Standish cutting him off, "Official."

"Yes, official. I was going to say official," Claire Jackson's son said in a tone I have heard him use when trying to 'play it off' as Sara has explained.

"Time to turn this over to Colonel Ed Straker," Major Carter said with all the authority she had as the leader of this team.

Sha're's story.

"He had us hiking in grass for hours, hours!" Sara was clearly displeased with the opportunity she had to go with her husband on a mission. I would have thought she would love it as I do when I go out on a mission with my Dan'yel.

"I knew I shouldn't have worn those heels. I'm just glad they were low instead of high." I wanted to ask her what is the difference, as to me the stilts Tau'ri women wear on their shows are stilts. Dan'yel likes them, but he never has asked me to wear them. Something about not wanting me to hurt my feet. It is a Tau'ri custom I rarely indulge in except when we have to 'dress up' for a formal occasion.

"Crop circles, cow mutilations, the Apollo cover-up...he went on and on and then we couldn't find his 'spaceship.'" I have seen both Jack and Sara gesture with two fingers of each hand bending them in with what Dan'yel calls quotation marks.

"But there is something amiss Sara. Did not Jan'et find that his medicine had been tampered with and Ez'ra his home being watched with sophisticated equipment? It has to be the NID and they would not be involved unless they suspect him of being an alien."

I can see Sara give me a 'calm down' look, but she must know I am right. More than once the NID has tired to take either me or Drey'auc. Jan'et has never mentioned if Cassie had ever been in trouble, nor do I wish to ask and put the thought in her mind if she hadn't thought of it.

"There -must- be something Sara," but I could see she didn't want to continue talking about that. Perhaps a chance of subject, "And after the walk in the woods?"

"Where we didn't find his spaceship," Sara went on, and I could see it was the right question to ask, she need to duct, no its vent, yes vent, "So we part ways while Jack and I check into a hotel and meet up with Teal'c and Chake."

She laughed then, and I merely waited, I knew she would tell me what was so funny if I waited. I was both right and wrong. She did tell me, but I didn't find it funny. I suppose I just did not 'get it,' likely Tau'ri humor. "Teal'c kept asking Jack for quarters. I think either him or junior liked the vibrating bed."

"Chake was loving his field day. Not just visiting the dinner, dodging people who couldn't see him, with Martin the highest point of it all. Speaking of which, Martin found us you know. Not that it was hard with only two hotels in that town to look for us."

"But it turned out Martin was right all along, he does have a spaceship and he is not from Earth," I seem to remember Drey'auc mentioning that when they had returned. "The escape pod found is on its way to Area 51 and SG-1 is preparing to take Mar'tin back home."

Sarah's summary

It was so sad. Jack finished telling me after they brought Marty back to Earth. His world, at least near the Stargate, looked devastated. The war he and the others ran from was lost. Whether he decided to go back too late or not is a question he might never find an answer to. The Goa'uld, and we're fairly sure it was them, had not left much of his world.

But they did leave something. Even if the escape pod had not been found, there is likely technology there and so SG-11 is off to shift through the ruins and see if anything useful survived. A few UAVs are being sent through to check the nearby area and SG-10 is likely going to take a gate glider through to expand the search.

None of which helps Marty.

This started out like such a laughing matter. A suppose wacko conspiratorial theorist who we thought would lead to a security leak. From crop circles to cow mutilations we guessed this was just one overly paranoid, if not entertaining in an odd fashion sort of guy. To find the tragedy of 'There but by the grace of God go I' on his world. His world that could have been the fate of Earth, could still be the fate of Earth if we don't find a way to fight the Goa'uld.

Of course as the resident alien-to-Earth attaché, I'll be keeping in touch with Martin. I'm not sure if Jack is happy about that or not. I know he feels sorry for Martin, who wouldn't considering what happened to his home planet?

Let me try to end this on a positive note. There are some, I just have to think about it from maybe Area 51's point of view. They have alien technology to examine, or better yet, Chake's point of view. He was overjoyed with his first outing on Earth. It might be a while before his next one, but apparently he gained quite a lot of insights.

So maybe he really is the Re'tu answer for Daniel, they both seem to share that passion for learning about others.

I think I'm going to finish this up, close the diary for the night and go spend some therapeutic cuddle time with Jack.

Author's notes: I deliberately injected Ezra into this story, which ended up changing things as Daniel and Sam weren't captured as they were in canon. I did this because while Sam is a super genius, the way she dug up information was stretching things I think, like her helping out Janet with medical research. Possible given how she's presented, and necessary on the show as it was better to give her a few more lines than hire another actor for such a small role. The fact it led to the capsule not being accidentally blown up by Martin was just a side effect.

Regarding the Ogdoad, yes they will likely show up in a future chapter. This was just an introduction that came to me and seem to make a nice segue into this chapter.


	12. Detour

Author's note: I am looking into re-writing the part of last chapter several found confusing. I hope to have it worked out by next update. My thanks to all who write, I need that kind of input as well as the compliments, which I'm also grateful about. Thanks!

Detour

Sara's diary

Of course the moon would be gone now. Well, technically -a- moon is up there, but not -the- moon. Moonbase Alpha went on another transverse to who knows where and Apollo station doesn't have any of their craft to spare, and, -AND- SG-10 is away on a mission with the gate gliders. All just when my husband and Teal'c need them the most!

Okay girl, slow down, deep breaths. When you read this years later you won't know what you are babbling about.

So let me 'splain, no let me sum up. Now that felt better, a quote from Princess Bride to let me settle and collect my thoughts as this has to read as nonsensical ramblings.

Today started off well enough. Chake and I were talking about Re'tu and the Tau'ri, a cultural exchange going on. My first meeting with Marty went off well. He was sad of course. You don't lose your whole world and be chipper as if nothing had happened.

Well you could, but then something would be very wrong as that would be taking denial too far.

Anyway, I had also had a pretty productive morning with Shaun'auc and talking about the finer points of life as a Jaffa priestess. I know I could get to like her, I just have to keep away from certain subjects of Jaffa culture and she's a great person to get to know.

SG-1 was off to Area 51, well to an airbase they use, to test what may be Earth's first air and space interceptor. Alpha had already come up with the first true spacecraft with their Eagles and UNIT helped fund and developed the Interceptors, but what was getting off the ground today was a craft that could launch from Earth and take on the Goa'uld up in space.

We do not want to end up like Martin's world.

Since Alpha was gone to some place else in the universe, and NASA isn't cleared to know, the SGC was elected as mission control for the test flight to orbit. That's how I ended up knowing that Jack and Teal'c were in trouble the moment it happened instead of being told.

I suppose it was highly irregular to have K-9 relay what was going on down in the control room to us up in the conference room, but it would be crowded enough down there and its not like General Hammond doesn't know. Just the visiting General Vidrine and as they say in the business, he didn't have a need to know.

It wasn't like we were listening in on state secrets. Well, beyond the fact this whole place and program is a state secret, but we're in on that.

I had gone from smiles, listening to Jack give a 'woo-hoo' to a worried frown when he declared an emergency. K-9 did not help by telling me more than I really wanted to know.

He did really, but I both didn't want to know and had to know all at the same time.

"Controls have been locked out. Override in progress aboard the X-301," the robot dog and gift from the Doctor informed us. I think someone was about to go downstairs and tell the boys in the control room, but they pretty much found out as Teal'c suggested that as a possibility.

Apparently Apophis was afraid more of his Jaffa would turn on him, so each glider had an auto-return. Unfortunately by the time the glider could get to where it was now going, hundreds of years would pass. In essence, it was a death sentence, a long execution.

Believe me, me who is reading this years later, I am not as calm as the words on this page makes me appear. Sha're, Claire, Janet, they were there for me and I know Drey'auc would have been, but she's off to try and get help with Daniel and Shaun'auc.

Drey'auc's day

"I know you cannot tell me where you are going, but be well and I hope you can find help," I said to Shaun'auc before she went to Chulak. She could not tell the SGC because of her oath and I would not have her break it nor speak of it myself.

We both doubt this Ishta will be able to help. But she has a following, Shaun'auc has said as much, Ishta has said as much to me when we met on Chulak. Neither of us know if she has access to a spacecraft, yet as the Tau'ri have said on many occasions, Sara in particular when I have come up with an unusual request, we will never know unless we ask.

It may be unfair to call upon her as I know she looks up to me and what I have done for Jaffa women's rights and steps to freedom and equality, but it is Teal'c who is in danger. I would do much, as much as I can, call upon any source I need to, in order to help my husband.

With Shaun'auc as a fellow priestess to Ishta, it may open doors that had been closed. Another Tau'ri truism.

Clasping arms, we brush cheeks and I watch Shaun'auc walk up the ramp to the Chappa'ai and disappear through it.

I would go, but I might be able to help locate the Tok'ra on Netu and as a member of SG-1 that is my place as General Hammond has given our mission a 'go.'

"I can be of help, General Hammond, let me do so. I know I am not a soldier, but like Dr. Jackson, I am not afraid of danger," I heard Chakehalaote say as he followed General Hammond into the Gateroom. Unlike the others my symbiote felt his approach, although the scarf he wears around his neck also assists in providing a location for him.

"Dr. Chakehalaote, I do appreciate your volunteering to help and right now I am not going to turn that down. If Major Carter has no objections, you have my permission to accompany SG-1."

I see Samantha Carter has none, just a blink of surprise as she replies, "Well no, no, not at all sir. Come on Chake."

"Yes, I can't see why we'd turn down an ally who is effectively invisible," and from the way Doctor Jackson said that I suspect he was doing so in his quiet sarcastic manner. He is more like O'Neill than either of them cares to admit.

With the acceptance I see Chakehalaote remove his scarf and hand it to an Airman. Though in the manner of the Tau'ri I do not so much see him as I watch as the scarf seems to unravel on its own and float over to a nearby Airmen who takes it, trying to act as if this happened all the time.

"Okay, dial it up!" General Hammond gives the order and I see Walter Harriman start the sequence on the Chappa'ai to send us to P2C-257.

We found it a very short stay on P2C-257.

"Should I scout on ahead?" Chakehalaote asked after we left the Chappa'ai. Major Carter shook her head.

"No, we don't have a way of tracking you Chake and I'm not sure we should be using the radios yet. Let's look around first, and then maybe we'll split up to search."

All four of us moved well together, and I'm sure my husband would approve of how well I have learned the craft of moving through woods unheard, nor seen.

He would have been most unhappy to learn that we bunched up enough for a ring transporter to catch us all at once and I know it did Chakehalaote as I felt him beside us after we were aboard the Tel'tak.

"We're not alone!" I sense the second Re'tu immediately, but unfortunately Daniel Jackson does not get the full meaning of my words.

"Meaning that our friend is still with us?" I suppose his question was phrased in case someone was listening in remotely. His way of confirming that Chakehalaote had been transported too. In behind-sight I can see that he might interpret my words as an indirect way of informing him and Major Carter.

It is why I didn't immediately just explain myself as the notion of being listen in on had not occurred and it should have. Chakehalaote could be our spade in the hole.

"Chakehalaote?" came a voice out of apparent no-where, the other Re'tu speaks my case for me.

"Kalakek?" I heard Chakehalaote ask in reply.

"What are you doing here?" a question each asks of the other. I note both Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson's heads turn back and forth to the apparent source of the voices as the two Re'tu question each other.

"You're a sociologist!" came the incredulous statement, "What is a sociologist doing with the famous SG-1?"

"Excuse me?" apparently Doctor Jackson took offense to that statement.

"What is an ex-terrorist doing on this ship, over this planet?" Chakehalaote replied.

"Helping to blow it up," came Jacob Carter's voice as he walked in through the door, and then looked at his daughter and Daniel Jackson.

"Are you out of your minds?! What the hell are you two doing here?!"

It was not a good beginning, but fortunately Jacob Carter is quickly brought up to date with our situation and need to save my husband and O'Neill.

"Hey, Sam we're on our way, so what's the problem kiddo?" I overhear Jacob Carter ask his daughter after we have sent a message through the Chappa'ai and depart Netu quickly.

"They will be dead dad by the time we get there. We found you too late," and I cannot believe what I just heard.

The question of how is nearly out of my lips when she explains about their oxygen problem. No, I will not except this is the end of my Teal'c. He will find away to survive, he and O'Neill will, they have to.

"What is it Drey'auc?" Samantha Carter's question tells me she sees the thought in my eyes that I chose not to give voice to.

"It is possible they might still live. If my husband places himself in an extremely deep state of Kel' No'reem, his heart rate will decrease, and their oxygen requirement will be lowered considerably," I see doubt in their eyes, the judgment that I am seeing this situation through tulip colored glasses.

"If this occurred to me, this will occur to my husband. Teal'c will know to do this. They will be alive when we get there."

Even then we almost didn't make it in time.

Sha're's story

The cheers are over by the time Jack is wheeled into the infirmary. I know better than to go to Teal'c first as his symbiote will attend to his injuries. Jacob did not have a Ka'kesh'prim'ta, so it is I who will attend to Jack's injuries and he will be injured according to Jan'et.

"Well Colonel, it looks like even your short spacewalk without a suit isn't going to make you a long term guest of my infirmary," Jan'et tells Jack as he slowly wakes up. Sara is by his side of course, just as Dan'yel is by mine.

Jack looks at me and gives me a small smile, "Three cheers for Sha're and the old healing device."

"So Dan'yel, tell me about this Oz that Jacob mentioned," I had waited until we were leaving the infirmary to ask about that. It had brought a smile to most of the Tau'ri's faces and the name was familiar.

"And why did you have to call yourself the great and powerful Oz?"

"Well," My Dan'yel began, "We had this little detour..."

Sara's summaries

I can't blame Jack for falling asleep on the drive home. The first human, from Earth I have to qualify now, to space walk without a spacesuit has got to be taxing. I'm just glad Janet finally let him out after nearly two days of observations and testing. Still even with the supposed bed rest he's tired.

One small step indeed.

Sha're finally filled me on the Oz story with Daniel. It seems it was a stall tactic when the Tel'tak Jacob had nearly melted down on its race to get to my hubby and T. I have to wonder if somewhere out there, one might be tempted to say, over the rainbow, if that Goa'uld they ran into is trying to find out more about some obscure minor Goa'uld called Oz.

Well let them waste time, its something else they can do instead of making the galaxy a worse place to be in with whatever it is they normally do.

Unlike a certain Sha're who continues to make the universe a better place to be in. I think everyone was kicking themselves about her simple suggestion of setting up a ring room at the SGC. It let Jacob ring Jack down directly to base, so it was a short gurney roll from the ring room to Janet's infirmary where that same ready to save the day Sha're used her healing device on Jack.

That reminds me, I should ask her about her anatomy lessons Raine is giving her. From what we've been able to find out through good old trial and error, the device works better if the user has an idea either what is wrong or how a body should work.

Someone's snoring tells me he wants me to pay attention to him. I know Jack, he doesn't snore, except when he's trying to be funny. Like right now during this car ride. It's not like I'll win out if I try to ignore him either, he'll just escalate.

All in all it's good he's feeling playful, it means he really is on the mend. "Okay Jack what would you like to talk about?"

"Tell me," I hear him begin, and imagine he still has his eyes closed and seat slightly reclined, "About Oz."

Yes, I do love him.


	13. Venom

Author's note: Special thanks to Sarai for help with chapter 11 which has the confusing part mentioned in reviews has been re-written.

Venom

Sara's Diary

It is so good to see Sam so happy. Jacob's been able to stay around for a while, on vacation of all things. I guess I didn't think the Tok'ra get vacation. And really I am not a pessimist at this stage of my life, but I knew that things were too good to last.

Jacob said it all when the Tok'ra sent through their ID that they would like the iris to open so they didn't go splat coming through. His vacation is over.

Coming through were M&M, Ma'chello and Martouf, which the latter putting a smile on Sam's face that she quickly tried to hide after she noticed her father noticing. That girl, for such a genius you'd think she would figure things out and just go with it.

I was not in on the briefing that followed, not the official one. Oh Jack didn't give away any state secrets, he never would. He did complain enough to let me piece together what was going on.

Beyond the fact they are going on a mission without Teal'c or Drey'auc, I learned that the Tok'ra discovered that Apophis and Heru'ur are planning a summit to talk alliance. This would be bad, very bad from the way Jack is repeating himself.

The Tok'ra want to nix the alliance and found out the place they two snakeheads are going to meet. Said place is in a minefield. This is the part where I look at my husband with profound disapproval. I don't voice it, we both know it's his job, but I needed to show how much I am already not liking where this is going.

Jack's grousing went into high gear as not only were they going into this minefield with a plan to sabotage the meeting, but the Ma'chello that came through the Stargate was not the Ma'chello we knew. It was a robot duplicate. Apparently the Tok'ra did not want to jeopardize the actual Ma'chello and they talked to Harlan, who readily agreed to up the population of his budding robot community by one more, eagerly from what this Ma'chello said.

Now Ma'chello didn't do this for safety reasons. Oh no, no, no, he did this so he could keep on killing Goa'uld for thousands of years if need be. He didn't want age to every be an obstacle again with him. A very healthy reason to create a duplicate of yourself, and this is where I use the vernacular of NOT.

Although I have to agree with Jack's theory it was also to have a version of Ma'chello sans the snake. That just in case the Tok'ra really aren't benign as they say they are. I can understand that reasoning, Jack certainly does.

So Daniel is going along to translate the technical manual for Ma'chello to reprogram one of the mines to do its thing at the right moment and boom, would be alliance sabotaged as each thinks the other is responsible. Now we don't send Danny off without Jack going if he can help it. Jacob wants to minimize the number of people involved so the objecting Martouf and Sam are going to be left behind.

I think Jack is only going as he doesn't trust the Tok'ra out of his sight, and more he feels he has to look out for Daniel. Besides if he doesn't Sha're might use that hand thingie device on him, and she's been practicing.

Drey'auc's day

Teal'c is off to meet with the men of the rebellion, leaving me to speak to the women. From our successes last year I can see the wisdom in why Master Bra'tac decided to divide our meeting. I did expect a larger turn out, but found that I am meeting with leaders of various groups. I won't call them factions yet as they seem more gathered by who they knew before all of this came out into the open and not on shared interest.

Except for the fellow priestess Shaun'auc is speaking to. I personally think its Ishta, just from the way I remember her carriage. While it is not unimaginable that a third priestess has joined the movement so soon, it is more likely a hooded Ishta wishing to keep a low profile as the Tau'ri are found of saying.

"Mother!" Rya'c's sudden appearance here is as jarring as his call for me with an urgency in his voice that I can guess it has something to do with Teal'c. Something has happened.

Which is what the others gathered here tonight are also saying. I do not need to hear the specifics of their whispers to know the words that make up their sudden murmurings.

Rya'c also picks this up and lowers his voice as I guide him over to a corner. "Father is missing," he begins and confirms my dread that something has happened to Teal'c, "Master Bra'tac is looking for him, and he did not wish you to be suddenly informed by anyone else."

I read more into Bra'tac's words than I believe my son has. If someone here is behind or part of it, my hearing through my son steals some part of their plan to use it to undermine the movement by shocking me with its revelation at a time of their choosing. A cold way to look upon my husband's troubles, but a realistic way.

It is not as if Bra'tac does not care for Teal'c as he would his own son.

"Thank you for the news my son. Now go and return to Master Bra'tac. He will need you on hand and it is better to be there than waste time looking for you," I say pouring out as much confidence in Bra'tac as I can for my son's sake.

"What is the matter?" Shaun'auc asks in a hushed voice as she moves to my side once my son has departed, and I tell her.

"This is no coincidence," what I recognize as Ishta's voice offers from her place beside Shaun'auc. "We must locate him. He is vital to the movement." Although I hear something else in her voice that causes me pause to know why she might be more interested in my husband. I put it aside, now is not the time.

"I offer my warriors to you," she says surprising me. I had thought she only dealt with other women, and thereby I learn to my shame that was true and I was wrong to assume otherwise.

"Mala," she raised her voice and a woman, clearly following the warrior path, stepped forward to where she had been standing near Ishta's seat, "Start with our recruits from Chulak, employ them in a search to ask if anyone knows of Teal'c's movements tonight."

"I too will start to ask around. I had many followers before I found out I was being tricked by my symbiote. Some will still hear my words, though their hearts are guarded," and I understand how that hurts her. Laying a hand on her shoulder I feel her take comfort from the touch.

While Ishta's people bear no fruit, Shaun'auc's has. One of her women found a boy who knew where Teal'c was going to meet others tonight.

"I will send someone to find your son who should know where Bra'tac and the others are," Ishta volunteered and called over another one of her people, I believe her name is Kar'yn. I see immediately why she was not sent to go search, she is barely Rya'c's age if that.

Soon we gathered in the tent long abandoned and we can see not peaceably so.

"He fell from where he stood, not sat," Bra'tac said reading signs in the sand as if they were a Tau'ri book, "Teal'c rose in peace, then tensed for action when the danger was made apparent and then feel suddenly. I would surmise by Zat'nik'tel. A Kara'bashaak'tak would have thrown even him."

"Likely still alive," I hear the words I wanted to as Bra'tac rose to the wonder of most save Mala who looked on as a practitioner might a master hoping to learn a few new tricks, "There is indication of movement after he fell, twitching as the Tau'ri say. No sudden stillness of death from a second shot."

"But he was dragged or carried away," Mala said with the tone of one wishing to be casual, yet trying to impress, whether it be Ishta, Bra'tac or both I could not tell.

"Carried," Bra'tac said with a tone of approval, "Footprints deepen as if with extra weight. Follow." And we did. He and Mala lead us down paths not well traveled even during the days of Apophis' reign. Ultimately we ended up in a clearing where even I could tell a Tel'tak had been there.

"I will find out who is missing and where they had come from," Bra'tac said with such certainty that I knew he would do as he said. He always did.

"I might be able to secure a ship to follow," Ishta began softly enough, yet I could tell there was a price in her words, "Do you know of someone who could pilot it?" I now knew what the price of this was, even before she asked me directly, knowing Bra'tac might well be the pilot this time, "Can you?"

"I have been taught to fly, yes," my words are heard and cause a ripple of whispering among the women around me. Jaffa women, by tradition, are not taught to fly, not even the priesthood. They are taught to fix, not to fly. Again I know the words before she speaks them, yet speak them Ishta must, "Will you teach?"

Even knowing she would give the ship help rescue my husband regardless, I knew what my answer had to be. Like Teal'c this has grown far beyond just he and I. "I will teach."

Sha're's story

Looking at it I know I want to master it. This thing that has done so much evil in the past. The gold of it catches the light even down here with a certain beauty, and when the jewel at the center of its palm glows, it is mesmerizing to just stand and stare at it.

A thing of beauty, a thing of evil, a thing only I can use.

It nearly took Dan'yel's life. I think it was nearly the cost of mine if Drey'auc had not had a Zat'nik'tel on her on that day. I would have gladly died if Teal'c had to take that shot to save my Dan'yel. I am glad he had not. Selfishly because I wanted to stay with Dan'yel, selfishly because I know he needs me and I want him to need me. His love is worth living for, and his love would have been worth dying for.

I know Dan'yel would tell me to put it away and never look at it again. There is no reason to remind myself of the pain and horror I had to endure as the demon possessed me.

However I think of the good I have done with it since then. When the base was invaded, and when my Dan'yel needed rescuing. Without it I would have been useless to help and I do not want to be useless.

Sergeant Siler had set up this 'firing range' for me to use and unlike the one where Dan'yel or Jack has helped me learn to fire weapons of the Tau'ri there are none to do so with this Goa'kesh'sha, the hand of the gods.

Not until Jacob came to stay for a while. He and Selmak were able to show me much of how to work this thing of false gods. Even Sam has learned a little since Jacob was here to visit his daughter and not to teach me.

Jan'et teaches me a-na-to-my to help me use what the Tau'ri call the healing device. Knowing what to do does help with focusing its healing power.

I want to make myself useful, I -need- to make myself useful. I study, and learn what I can from the books given to me. This, this thing that caused so much pain when it was Amonet's hand that wielded it, now is mine. Just as she took from me, I now take from her and yet I do not feel a balance within me.

It is poison, a venom. However as Jan'et's books have taught me, a poison when used correctly can be a medicine to help instead of just hurt.

I will learn to use this venom for the Tau'ri, for the SGC and for my Dan'yel. Stand, focus and let It know what you wish It to do.

More concrete shatters when I will the hand of the gods to do so. I wish I could say it is satisfying it might be if it was Apophis that stood before me to shatter.

The fact he lives fills me with such revulsion. I shatter several concrete blocks in succession thinking of that demon's touch. The way he took my life on Chulak, the way he hurt my Dan'yel, my brother and my father adds to the fire within me. He killed so many to get me when he came to Abydos. Many who survived Ra to only die at his hand.

My hand now learns to kill, to destroy and I can only hope that one day I would be able to use this hand against him.

It will not give back the life taken from me, but it will keep him from taking another's life as he did mine.

Sara's summary

Well everyone got home safe and sound. I had not even known that Teal'c was in danger, none of us did back here at the SGC. I can hear General Hammond's lecture coming up. I'm sure he'll talk with Drey'auc about procedure and then me to make sure she knows it.

Apparently he was captured, tortured, and then released by someone sympathetic to his cause. Meanwhile Drey'auc had found a group of Jaffa women who procured a ship to go looking for Teal'c, leading them to the same system Jack, Daniel, Jacob and robo-Ma'chello were lurking in.

Sabotage went awry and yet it worked as something about he said, she said. Heru'ur promising Apophis Teal'c as a gift, yet got someone else instead, then the mine went off to cap this budding relationship. Which is when everything went south for our boy Heru'ur and really for the rest of us as we discovered that Apophis somehow worked out how to cloak large ships such as Ha'tak.

Jacob had since relayed that it was due to Kermit and company, well not our Kermit, but the Ogdoad. They were also behind the supership of his that the hopped up on bracelet drugs SG-1 blew up last year.

Ribbit, ribbit indeed.

Not that I got any of this from Jack of course. When I did try to get the straight story out of Jack, mostly what I got was his mention of Amazons. Of course to most men any group of women willing to fight is likely to be labeled Amazon. As if by classifying them that as something different it couldn't be the norm.

Privately I might agree its not the norm, and it isn't for the US of A. However we're not the universe and one thing this cultural attaché has learned is be open about what is different. Our way isn't the only way, which is a wonderful self-lecture until I run right up against the wall of what I won't face about why Shaun'auc is still around or what she's doing in the room reserved for Teal'c and Drey'auc.

Probably what I'm doing in bed with Jack after I close up this diary, which like what's going on there, is best left for the imagination.


	14. Curses

Curses

Sara's diary

It was, I think, their first fight. As all fights between husband and wife, they never come at a good time. I suppose if they did, said couple shouldn't be husband and wife, or they shouldn't be a human couple.

Not that I don't understand where this fight came from. Sha're was adamant about not flying again. Not after her trip to Russia and they had to skydive, or as she so adorably call it, 'dive in the sky.' Hey I can call it adorable in my diary, its not like she's going to read this and it wasn't in any mean spirit.

I just find it adorable even when she says it with such venom.

Anyway, a professor dear to Daniel had died and he wants to go to the funeral. The only way to make it in time is to catch a plane and while Sha're wants to go to both support her husband and see apart of his life that lead to him meeting her, she was not going to fly.

Yet in the manner that one could call a paradox, she demanded to go with him and wanted to know why they couldn't drive. Technically that is a minor victor considering her feelings about cars. However that was missed because in order to make it to the funeral in time they would have to break so many speed limits the President of the United States would have to officially pardon Danny.

That wasn't going to happen of course, so driving out, flying not happening with Sha're. In the end, we really knew that meant Daniel was going to go there alone. Well it might not have been alone as Claire knew many of the people likely to attend, but haven't spoken to many of them since most think she's still dead.

She is having a case of the guilts and both wants to go and doesn't.

Going back to where I started sentences ago, in the end, Daniel went alone. No mother, who didn't like showing her face, no wife who didn't want to fly. Beyond the feeling of loss Daniel was experiencing, add in these two and he did not leave on a good note.

I've seen Sha're sulk, I hadn't Claire. They made quite a pair, with both throwing themselves into work of sorts. I say of sorts since Sha're's work is more study and practice. Studying anatomy, with the odd base accident to practice healing under Janet's observation and then that shooting range that Silar set up for her to get use to using that ribbon device thingie.

Sometimes I think her blasting away with it helps, other times it doesn't. Right now she has three years of it reminding her of pain and only a year of it maybe countering it with how useful it's been. I can't imagine what it would be like, nor do I want to.

It's a curse I'd rather not have to recover from.

Which speaking of such, of course Danny couldn't go off and have a nice normal funeral, as if there are any kinds like that. No, he has to uncover a mystery, with SGC strangeness entering in as the death of the professor might not have been an accident and there are hints that the Goa'uld are involved, or some of their technology from long ago.

It -might- have been an accident, but more along the lines of ... I can't even write it out. I'll just say more along the lines of what took my son away from me. Not realizing what they were 'playing' with.

Okay, time to change the subject. I wonder how Jack is doing with Mr. and Mrs. Jaffa out at the cabin. I know Drey'auc was looking forward to returning to it, but Teal'c was not. I think he was unimpressed with Jack's idea of fun called fishing. I can only hope -they- don't run into the 'curse' of the SGC and have something bizarre happening to them.

I know I'm not happy I couldn't go with them. Vacation time doesn't always come at the same time and really Claire and Sha're could use someone here with them during this time. I don't mind -too- much, okay I mind a lot, but it goes with the territory.

At least I can hope they are having fun.

Drey'auc's day

Teal'c is not having what the Tau'ri would call fun. Which is regrettable as I do like returning to chores that remind me of home on Chulak to a certain extent.

I do like fighting beside my husband, and learning many things that Jaffa women had not for thousands of years. However, sometimes it is good to get back to what I was before we met O'Neill. Cooking that takes time is like a familiar friend. Skills not usually used come back to me even with alien instruments and conditions. The kitchen of this cabin is not like ones I practiced on, yet they are similar enough that I can make meals.

Although I do look forward to the times O'Neill says I can cook around a campfire. That is one skill I know I can do well and is closer to what is used back on Chulak than anything a Tau'ri kitchen has to offer.

Bringing the men their mid-day meal I see O'Neill removing a battery out of the communication device that my husband had brought along. I am mystified when he tosses it aside and then hands my husband the device once more.

Sha're's story

My Dan'yel has come back! I hope he is still not angry. I did not like being angry with him when he left me to go to the funeral. If only there had been another way to go in time. I should not have let my fear of being on a plane stop me. Next time I will go. I have to, I can't let this come between us.

Something is wrong. When we hug I know something is bothering him. Is he still angry with me? I forgave him, he should forgive me. Maybe it means more to him than I thought it did to go to this funeral?

Good mother will know, I will go ask her while Dan'yel is talking with Saman'tha and General Hammond.

"...so it's not you Sha're. He's got something else on his mind," I see her pause, and that is likely because she sees the hurt on my face and in my heart. Something other than me?

"No, is not like that," good mother says reading me like a Tau'ri book, "You've told me how you've had to remind him to eat or sleep when he is off studying something new. Trying to find a new piece of a puzzle he is working on, trying to solve a riddle. That's what's on his mind, Sha're."

I knew talking with good mother was the right thing to do. Hugging her I know all will be alright. She is quite correct, my Dan'yel could not care to come out of a sandstorm it seems when he is looking up something new.

"I will go find him, just hug him and let him know I understand," I told good mother as I left her in her office. It was just as well as Saman'tha came in with a jar to talk to good mother about. Seeing the look on good mother's face I see a bit of my Dan'yel and know she talks from her own heart. She saw in her son what she had known to be true for herself.

"You're going back tonight?" I hear myself ask the question when I know the answer. I see it in his eyes even as the words leave my lips.

"There is a second jar, Sha're. I have to go find it," and I know he does, yet I do not want him to leave and try to say I will go with him, to ask to go with him. But the words catch in my throat. I think back to how terrified I was to jumping out of that plane over Russia and I can't speak, can't ask him to go with him.

I see him look at me and maybe he can read me like one of his books too. Taking me into his arms, I just lay my head on his shoulder as he speaks into my hair. "I will come back as soon as I can and don't worry. It will be boring for you anyway. Like my visiting the Cartouche back home."

"Back home," I hear myself repeat and then look up into his eyes, smiling. Even though he spent but a year on Abydos he considers it home.

"Next time. Next time I will go on a plane with you, Dan'yel. For you, I promise," and despite my fears I know I will do this. I won't let my fears come between us, I won't.

Watching him leave was worse then when he goes through the Chappa'ai because I know deep down that unlike those times I could have gone with him this time.

Next time I will.

Next time.

Good mother is busy with the jar and Saman'tha, so I go look for Sara only to find General Hammond gave her permission to go join her husband on his vacation.

I now feel worse for not going with my Dan'yel.

It was going back to good mother that I happen to glance at the jar they were so intent on and I know the words.

"Banished to oblivion," I read the words and good mother looks up and smiles. Saman'tha looks over and hits herself on the side of her head. I have seen that gesture before. It means she believes she has done something unwise and should have known better.

"We should have just asked you to come read this Sha're," good mother says what Saman'tha does not.

"This is what Dan'yel was looking for, the other one to this?" and now I really wish I gone with him. He's going to find that other demon jar.

"I seem to remember something from Amonet. Something about this being a punishment. The demon put in it would be awake and knowing and yet could not do anything about getting out," it is not easy to remember it all, "Apophis had punished some of his lesser demons in this manner. Amonet had taunted some in such prisons."

"I just got the report back from the lab. Dr. Lee believes it is a Goa'uld symbiote in the jar," Saman'tha says after answering a call from the phone nearby.

"Sha're this time we're not going to keep you out of this, will you go and get your ribbon device and met me in the medical isolation chamber?" Saman'tha asks and I don't hesitate now. They need me and I will not disappoint them.

"It's dead. We can relax," Jan'et says as she works open the jar in the large glass box with her in gloves. I lower my Goa'kesh'sha, Saman'tha lowers the Zat'nik'tel she held ready to fire and as far as I know the guards also lower their weapons.

I stand around and listen to Saman'tha talk of 'tiny naquadah power source' and 'low-level electrical charge,' explaining to General Hammond what I told them already. I don't follow the explanation of how something should work, Shaun'auc is called to the room to explain that. She was not allowed to go out with Teal'c and Drey'auc as the rulers of Dan'yel's home will not grant her a pass to do so.

Not for a vacation, only if it involved a mission.

But I am not listening to the priestess explain the technology to the Tau'ri. My mind is elsewhere and filled with worry.

If there is a second jar, there is a second demon. That one might not be dead. Oh Dan'yel, be careful please!

He's back! I run into his arms and hold him, and he me. I can tell his heart is heavy and is worried. His friends from before Abydos are on his mind. One might be possessed by a demon, the other is angry with him for not telling her about what he does. I get that much before we head to his office where he talks with General Hammond and the others.

I do not mind him listening to the others as he holds me and I listen to his heart beat. I am glad he came back to me well. I only barely hear Jan'et talk about the liquid in the jar being a good sed-a-tive to knock out Dan'yel's friend or the demon should it come out of him. The phone ringing and General Hammond answer are a world away until I hear certain words that make my own heart feel as if it skipped a beat.

Not General Hammond's words as he tells us Dan'yel's friend got onto a plane and is heading to someplace called Cairo. It is my own Dan'yel's words that make my heart forget to beat for a moment or that I should take a breath, "He could be headed back to the temple in Egypt where the jars were first discovered. If we move fast, we could head him off, Sir."

Heading him off...that means he will put himself in the demon's path and it means he will get on a plane to go after him.

I have to go with him. I must go with him.

General Hammond had to have seen a look in my eyes as he added, "Dr. Frasier will accompany you and Dr. Jackson, and I think your wife should go along too. She looks like she's from that part of the world and I want to keep this low-profile as much as possible."

"Besides, Sha're has a passport already as Daniel's wife," Saman'tha says, which does not make any sense to me, but if it lets me go along, I am grateful for the words.

Dan'yel looks in my eyes and does not see the fear he saw earlier and nods. I think he's letting me go to help me over my fear and not so much because he needs my help.

He does hold my hand all the way over the ocean. I try to reassure him that it is the fear I have to jump out of a plane that makes me afraid, but I fear to say it will make it happen. So I just am silent and hold his hand.

When we land I am relieved, and Dan'yel does not speak the jest I see sparkling in his eyes. He is a wise man.

Then we leave the plane and I find what General Hammond means. The sand, the people, the air and heat, it is like Abydos!

"Is this where my people came from Dan'yel? Is there where Ra took us from?" So many questions run to my lips I know if I continue they will never end. I am like a child, and laugh as I realize how Dan'yel must have been on Abydos seeing all of this and thinking of here.

During the jeep ride I am not thinking of Saman'tha's driving, but how much this is like home. I try to look everywhere and see as much of where my people came from. Father will love to hear the tales and so would my brother and all from my home.

It took me a moment to realize we arrived where we wanted to go and my smile vanishes as I see Dan'yel and Saman'tha check Zat'nik'tels, and Jan'et her tran-qui-lie-zer dart gun. I slip on the hand of the gods and we enter the tomb.

We carefully go inside, Dan'yel hold the light to let us see as we move at a slow pace. Then it shines on a body on the floor.

"It's Steven!" my Dan'yel says, which means this must be his friend.

"I'm not sensing anything. He's not Goa'uld," Saman'tha says and I add, "Nor do I. He has no demon within him."

We find him alive and Jan'et mentions that he is bleeding internally. I know what to do. I look immediately for my Ka'kesh'prim'ta, my search in the shoulder bag Jan'et had causing me to miss the conversation Dan'yel has with is friend. I catch some words, amulet, admitting my Dan'yel was right all along, Osiris jar, and the question of who did this to him when I find the healing device and hear the answer from a woman's voice.

"Sarah?" I hear Dan'yel ask, and it is the name of the other friend of his. The one whose name sounds like Jack's Sara but different.

I see she has a Goa'kesh'sha too late as Jan'et, Saman'tha and I go flying back through the air. I am too dazed by the impact to apologize to Saman'tha whom I had been thrown against. At most I make out that Dan'yel has fired his Zat'nik'tel, but a Goa'kesh'sha can block their fire.

My mind clears away the cobwebs that had trapped it and I see Dan'yel being tortured like Amonet did him last year, like -I- did to him.

NO!

I did not realize I spoke out loud, shouted as this demon looked up and saw my hand of the gods firing. And she is the one to go flying, but not far. I can tell she will get up quickly and is I cannot get another shot off as Dan'yel is in the way.

Deciding to lead her away, I ran off to the pillars. She will want to know if I'm a rival, what I know. I thought I heard enough of what she was asking Dan'yel to guess that. She'll leave him alone and come after me and I was right.

"Who are you? From what my host knows, you must be the wife of Daniel Jackson. This Sha're he spoke of. Which god are you?" I hear the demon ask as she searches for me. It gives the others time to recover, it draws her from them and maybe I can knock the demon down again.

I decide now to hunt her as she had been hunting me.

"Which goddess? You cannot be Isis, you would have said so by now!" the demon claims as she nearly strikes me with a Goa'kesh'sha blast as I had nearly stepped out from behind a pillar too soon.

I think I know where she is and quickly move around a pillar to fire, but only catch rocks and raise dust as she ducks behind another pillar. Her footfalls tell me she did not remain there.

"We can share the human," the demon now tries a different approach, but it has to be a trick. I won't share my Dan'yel in any case. Wait...I think she is about to step around a pillar ... now!

I turn, she turns, we fire.

She flies back one way, and I another. She lands on forgiving sand, and I against unyielding wall. Yet it is enough time. Jan'et has shot a dart and hits her in the leg, but it was not enough to keep her down. Osiris rises and limps quickly towards the alter as Jan'et fires again, but misses.

The demons declares she will be back and something of rivers of blood will run. My mind is unfocused from my head's hit against the wall, and spots flare before my eyes as she activates something my demon would know, the only impression I have is of a ship.

I clear the spots just as the demon summons the rings and Saman'tha discovers what my Dan'yel did that a Goa'kesh'sha can catch a Zat'nik'tel blast. Jan'et removes a pistol and starts to fire, the bullets striking the rings before they take the demon away.

Oh my Dan'yel, again the hand of the gods has hurt him, but I will help him. I will help his friend too. The demon has hurt them both, but I will heal them.

Then Dan'yel will have to tell his friend Stev'en what happened.

Sara's summary

It must be a curse. How did Daniel -again- end up being zapped in the head with one of those Goa'uld hand devices? Not that we were there when he was brought back to the SGC for an overnight observation by our good Dr. Janet Frasier.

I also missed out on whatever story they told his friend Steven Rayner about what happened. I hadn't heard if it was a matter of sighing non-disclosure papers, but I'm guessing something like that had to have happen. Oh they may have made up a story like they were going to with me when Crystal Charlie introduced me to this world of the weird, but from what I've heard, this Steven stumbled over proof that Danny was right so they would have to ask him not to say anything about that.

I'll have to ask Claire later. She'll know what happened on that front.

On the fishing trip front at Jack's cabin, I think Teal'c considered it a nightmare. Granted he was Mr. Stoic the entire time, even extra stoic to compensate for the fact his wife wasn't, but there is stoic and there is I-am-not-having-fun stoic. He was not having fun.

Drey'auc was a delight. I didn't think I could enjoy cooking from over a campfire. I mean -I- didn't do the cooking there, but the food she cooked was like something out of my mother's or grandmother's kitchen. It was like made from scratch, actually it -was- made from scratch. I know sometimes I can do that, but really it is a dying art.

She had a good time, and Teal'c did enjoy her cooking. I think it was the only saving grace of the trip for him.

Jack on the other hand, had a great time. He loves to do nothing more than sit back on the dock and fish. I didn't mind joining him for a few hours a time or two. Especially once I realized Drey'auc did know her way around a kitchen. Yes I can cook and do more than microwave, but it's nice to let someone else do the cooking sometimes.

So we didn't find out about Daniel's internment in the infirmary until long after it was a fact. Nor did we know of that there's a new enemy in Goa'uld town and that Danny lost a good friend. No, not lost, it's another person we will save just as we'll save Major Coburn and we had saved Sha're.

In contrast, it made checking in with Martin a pleasant diversion when I got back, though he was rather frantic with me out of contact as I had been. I think I've become his therapist without my being asked to be.

Chake is making noises of wanting to go out on another field trip among humanity and Shaun'auc is busy explaining how some Goa'uld jar works to Sam and the other scientist. Vin is well settled with SG-7 that I think I don't need to play den mother with him any longer and I think its going to be official with Ghranth becoming part of SG-11. An engineer for the engineering SG team, it makes sense for that Mondoshawan.

All in all it was good to be away, and now good to be back. It looks like we missed the SGC strangeness this time. Dodged that bullet for once.


	15. Weakest Link

Weakest Link

Sara's diary

I'm still in shock. It just seemed so sudden. I mean I guess I've noticed the General seemed to have something on his mind lately, but I had no idea it was about leaving to retire.

Now the singing that came from conference room was unexpected. I had no idea that Drey'auc and Shaun'auc could sing, much less how good a duet they made.

It was only afterwards that I found out it is a custom on Chulak that when a great leader retires from the field of battle a song of lament is sung. I'm going to have to find out if it was because men don't sing it or Teal'c doesn't have a good singing voice as to the reason he didn't sing.

I think by the time those two were done, both the control room and gate room were filled with those standing around to hear the duet. At the time no-one knew why the song was about, why the General even indulged it, but word had spread around pretty quickly afterwards.

He was leaving us.

It just felt so sudden. I owe that man so much. If not for him, I wouldn't have gotten back Jack. Just a little more by the book and I'd have been fed a clone story and likely been mad at Jack for the rest of my life about how dare he allow the government to clone our son. It might have been years if ever that I talked to him again.

But General Hammond had a different idea, one non-disclosure paper sign later, it was dinner and an explanation.

So I won't make it hard on him to retire. He deserves a good retirement without another voice trying to talk him into staying.

He will be missed.

On a not-so-different note, so will K-9. Officially he belongs to George and will go with him. I think even Jack will miss 'Toto' rolling around the base and Lt. Astor owes her life to the little tin dog as she calls him when not going with Jack's Toto.

"Ten-hut!" Jack really didn't shout that, but inwardly I put an exclamation mark in my own mind. General Bauer was certainly not George. He was brief, didn't say much, or even give us a decent dismissal that first day on the job. We stood there looking at each other, well the civilians did, after he gave a short speech and then just walked out. Jack had to dismiss us.

It was the first and last time Jack was 'okay' about the new General.

"He broke up my team," Jack was ranting later, well pacing and venting really. "Carter is off on some bomb project, Daniel is going to be stuck in his office, Drey'auc is off the team, any SG team and Teal'c is now part of SG-3!"

Then he finally turned towards me, "Oh yes, did I tell you I've been given some leave time to think about if I want to remain part of the SGC or not?" Jack had, but I didn't think he wanted me to mention how many times he had told me all of this. It was pretty distressing, sort of like my meeting with the General.

"Thank you for coming, Mrs. O'Neill. I've seen how you're a valuable asset around here as the liaison between the SGC and our alien residents," it was his casual tones that shouted warnings to me.

"However, you've been avoiding some subjects in your reports and that I find is unacceptable," I knew immediately what he was referring to, and really regretted George leaving. He was far more understanding about this, "Reporting on a different culture is not a pick and chose process, Mrs. O'Neill. Just because you find a subject distasteful is no reason to leave it out. It could become valuable information to this command."

General Bauer leafed through what I guess were some of my reports, "It would be good to know if Teal'c would be more cooperative if this Shaun'auc was one of his wives. That is if polygamy means the same thing among the Jaffa as some cultures here on Earth. The fact is we don't know and we should. Her stay on this base should be more than the occasional cultural exchange about the priesthood among the Goa'uld and Jaffa. We'd like to know if she's as valuable to have around as Drey'auc."

I did not like where this was going and not just because of the lack of looking into alien marriage customs.

"Valuable?" oh I was pretty sure I knew where this General was going, but I had to hear it from his own lips.

"Valuable, Mrs. O'Neill. Your husband use to be covert ops, you're not stranger to the dark underside of some operations. We need to know we can count on Teal'c. He's good, every report says he's very good, but he turned on his former masters after years of service. We want to make sure he doesn't have a sudden change of heart on us."

"And like Apophis tried, you have no hesitation to keep her around to insure his loyalty?" looking back I was rather proud how even my voice must have sounded.

"Exactly Mrs. O'Neill and two are better than one. It's a shame his son isn't on Earth anymore," and I must have given myself away about then, probably the glare I was giving him, not that I regret it once iota.

"Problem, Mrs. O'Neill?"

"So they're hostages to keep Teal'c loyal?" nope, my voice wasn't even, I was practically boiling right then.

"It's not as if they're going to be under lock and key Mrs. O'Neill, but I can see this bothers you. Perhaps like your husband you should take some time and think about if you want to continue on here in the SGC. I'm sure we can find someone who doesn't have a problem with accurate reports or what is done with them."

That is how I found myself driving up with Jack to where George retired to be with his family. We both had the time on our hands and I also thought there was something more to this sudden retirement. I actually wanted there to be more.

I really should stop that, and recall the advice of be careful for what you wish for.

"There is no one in range to over hear and no listening devices either," K-9 spoke up suddenly as George sat with us in his kitchen. George didn't seem the paranoid Marty sort of guy to check for listening devices, and K-9 wouldn't have mentioned such if he didn't know George wanted to be sure.

Just the fact George didn't act surprised that K-9 mentioned anything of the sort was ominous. Something was wrong alright.

It was worse than I could have imagined. I'm not sure if I slipped my hand into Jack's or he over mine as we listened to how the NID sent a very horrific message to George to retire since he wasn't going to do what they said and be more aggressive about obtaining new technologies.

They sent some official looking, plain clothes men to pick up his granddaughters from school and took them for a ride, before dropping them off. Nothing happened to the girls, but the message was plain.

I barely tuned my mind back into the conversation when George was wrapping up, "...We're talking about an organization as powerful as the CIA. These people are above the law. I can't protect my family twenty-four hours a day. I had no choice."

He saw it in Jack's eyes as I did. I suppose that's why he asked Jack not to get into any trouble over this.

It was what I would say to him too after we left. I tried to avoid it at first, we both knew what Jack was going to do. He was going to make things right. "Well, I guess we saw why the Doctor left K-9," I began as we walked hand in hand out to the car, "He'll watch over the General and the girls. Nothing on Earth can slip past Toto."

"Sara..." I heard him say and thought here it comes as I decided to not even make him say it. I just put two fingers to his lips and shook my head, "You don't have to say it. I know what you have to do, Jack. You wouldn't be the man I married, or re-married, if you just let this slip by."

"I want you to go visit my cousin. She lives in New York now, but she has a farm house in Northampton, Massachusetts. I want you two to disappear out there. They know about my cabin, but I'm guessing they won't think to look for you at that farm house. No-one's lived there in years."

"Are you sure you want to get April involved with this?" I remember her, quite a spunky girl, and definitely an O'Neill cut from the same cloth as Jack.

"She'll be fine and that's what I want you to be too," and then we kissed.

Drey'auc's day

Teal'c and I are ... less than happy with the change of leadership among the SGC. This General Bauer does not seem to open dislike either of us or Shaun'auc, but I find it curious that SG-1 only exist as a name. O'Neill has not been around, and neither Samantha Carter nor Daniel Jackson are part of it. Nor Teal'c and I either. Teal'c is the only one of us that is part of an SG team. It throws doubts that General Bauer has a bias against Jaffa. SG-3 is a team that goes out on missions considered vital.

Save for Second Lieutenant Aiden Ford, SG-3 is not as open or inviting as SG-1 has been. It is not needed among warriors to be warm so it is not a concern of Teal'c's and so I will not make it a concern of mine.

I am concerned that Sara has also been missing along with O'Neill. We are told they are on vacation, but considering they had one recently I question the truth to these words. It was only as Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson assuring me they really are on another vacation that I find I am willing to believe.

Shaun'auc and I have been assigned as guards at the Chappa'ai. It is not as exciting as being on SG-1, nor do I think it serves my people the best, but as long as Teal'c remains I will. Shaun'auc has found that other than being a guard she is tasked with explaining the technology of the Goa'uld. When General Bauer finds she understands some about naquadah, she is asked to help Major Carter.

Just like Shaun'auc, guard duty at the Chappa'ai is not all I am asked to do. I am asked to escort Chakehalaote around the base. I find it much like when I first came to this world and Sara was tasked to escort me.

I was there in General Bauer's office when he chose to talk to Chakehalaote, and the sociologist was not happy with the conversation.

"I protest. I protest most strongly," Chakehalaote said as General Bauer stared in his general direction, "I am not a soldier or a spy. I am a sociologist who is here to study humanity."

"But it says here in this report you helped SG-1 on a mission to contact a Tok'ra member in order to get a spacecraft to save Colonel O'Neill," I saw General Bauer read the paper in front of him. It made me wonder why he hadn't before, which he must have to know where to look now. Why read it again?

"That sir, was a rescue mission. You're asking me to go along as some kind of combat scout. I have noted that you have confined Dr. Jackson to the base because he is a non-combatant," this reason was not known to me and I hope I have practiced the stoicism of my husband well to not let my surprise show. Though General Bauer has not looked in my direction once since this conversation began.

"If he is a non-combant shouldn't -I- be considered one?"

"Look, Chakoo, Chakee, Chakehalaote," I can see he really did want to pronounce Chakehalaote's name correctly, "You're here as a privilege as part of the alliance between our two peoples. An alliance means we help each other and this is important. It helps the Tau'ri greatly if you perform this one mission. Otherwise I may have to ask you to leave my base. I'm sure Moonbase Alpha can provide you with plenty of opportunities to observe humanity."

I have not heard a Re'tu gasp with surprise, nor did I now. However I can imagine Chakehalaote did the equivalent from the pause that occurred.

"I see. Well, it is for only one mission," Chakehalaote gave in, but was not happy about it.

"Only one mission, Chakeehoot," General Bauer assured in a tone I did not believe in once. I also noticed that Chakehalaote did not correct him or once offer to use the diminutive he often tendered to other humans.

It is as our rotation as guards that we are there when Teal'c and most of SG-3 return. Major Waite did not come back, dead as my husband soon reported to General Bauer. I felt it when Chakehalaote came through the Chappa'ai and no-one could mistaken the odd way Lieutenant Morrison limped along as if someone unseen was helping him. It had to be Chakehalaote. Aiden Ford brought up the rear, walking backwards into the gate room as if he had expected an attack at the end.

He and my husband both wore a look of displeasure. With Teal'c it was not so evident, especially to General Bauer, who had not learned to read the degrees of stoicism by which one could measure what my husband thought of a situation. Aiden Ford was not only Tau'ri, but young and had not the years to perfect how to hide what he felt and show only what is acceptable on one's face.

It is my guess that this is why Aiden Ford did not look at General Bauer as he helped Chakehalaote with the injured Lieutenant Morrison to where the medics and Sha're could help him. Teal'c did not even wait for General Bauer to dismiss him. After his report, handed him the naquadah, turned and left.

Sha're's story

Everyone has been very unhappy with General Hammond gone and there have been many changes since General Bauer has replaced him. My father has said that every leader has his own way of doing things. Even if it is a son replacing a father as my brother will one day our father, his way will be different than the way my father is leading my people today.

General Bauer is a different leader than General Hammond. I do not know why he has split up SG-1, and for a time I am almost willing to think it is a conspiracy against them. But Teal'c is still going out through the Chappa'ai on missions. Saman'tha Carter is working on experiments she has, and Dan'yel has his studies.

Part of me is glad General Bauer is keeping Dan'yel here and safe. Yet I see the look in his eyes and know it is not enough. He has to be out helping others. Just gaining knowledge is not enough for him, and I know it is a lot. I sometimes wonder that when he found all he could on Abydos, had not Jack and the others come for him, would he be as he seems now? Would he seem restless and ready to move on?

I will never know of course.

Wearing white is different. It is the white of Jan'et's nurses, but I am not called a nurse, I am now called a medic. General Bauer has placed me in Jan'et's department and I now regularly work with her.

Jan'et is not happy about this, but I don't know why. However she sees my confusion, and I think she saw a little of my hurt as I didn't know why she didn't want me part of her staff.

"Oh Sha're, honey," she begins in a far more caring tone than the look on her face earlier conveyed, "I'm not mad at you. I'm glad you're apart of my staff. I just don't like it that you're being treated like a side-show act."

"Side-show act?" I have no idea what she means by this.

"That you're only here because you can operate that healing device."

"But Jan'et, it is why I am here. I do not have the knowledge and skills you do. Why shouldn't I be a 'side-show act?'"

"Sha're, when it was as needed, I was fine about that. Being on call is fine, but right now," I have seen her before like this, she's trying to calm down, "Right now, General Bauer wants to start shipping cases from the Academy hospital here for you to treat. That means you'll be working that healing device from morning to night. Honey you can't heal everyone. Its what every doctor has to learn and you'll want to."

Frowning, I look at nothing in particular as a thought comes to me, "Why didn't General Hammond suggest this? I could help a lot of sick or injured people. Why don't I come with you to the hospital?"

"We can't risk the healing device there," Jan'et said worrying me that she skipped to the last question, "And General Hammond knows using the healing device drains you. It was his way to look out for you."

There are times I forget how people still want to look out for me. Dan'yel, everyone had looked so long for me, many grew attached to me even before meeting me. I represented happiness for Dan'yel, and everyone wanted to see him happy. It has been nearly a year, but I see that many now wish to see me happy as well.

I hope General Hammond enjoys his retirement, whatever that is. I'll ask Dan'yel to explain it to me again. General Hammond is missed.

Sara's summaries

Jack was not happy and at first I thought he should be. I'm not sure what he did, but General Hammond is back in command, and General Bauer is out. It couldn't be the fact said former commander of the SGC probably blew up a planet, nearly irradiated the mountain and didn't listen to Sam's advice.

That could get him annoyed, but not unhappy.

He doesn't yet care enough about Chake to be concerned with his being put on the front lines with the marines.

It -might- be the way Sha're was being used as a miracle cure for all the 'favored' of the US military. We've since found out that Bauer wasn't just taking special cases from the Academy hospital, but all over the world. If they were important enough, needed healing faster than Earth medicine could provide or couldn't provide, they were being shipped here.

He's fond of Sha're, we all are, so that is possible, but I don't think so. There is some kind of shadow over him. Something heavy, like when he use to come back from a Special ops mission. It always seems to hang over him for a couple of days.

I think whatever it was he did to get Hammond back, it was something he might consider dirty. Just like in his covert days, he wouldn't say anything about it. This will make him moody tonight in bed, but just like those earlier days, I'll just be there for him.

About all I got was the name Maybourne. With that name I think a little Nancy Drew detective work and I've pieced together the pieces.

Jack wanted me far away so I either was not in the cross fire, and/or, with a heavy leaning of -and-, that I didn't see what he was doing. Whatever it was had to do with ex-Colonel Harry Maybourne, now prisoner. Dropping a word with Ezra, one of Harry's ex-employees, and I've found that Harry isn't a prisoner anymore. In fact no-one knows where he is, nor is anyone searching.

I have to wonder why Jack didn't ask Ezra for help, but it must have been something only Harry could do. That and SG-7 was on a mysterious long-term assignment that they got back only after General Hammond was back in command. There wasn't an Ezra to call upon for something uhm ... underhanded.

Since Jack called April to send reporters to Senator Kinsey's house out of the blue, our 'friendly' fiend from Washington, must have been involved. I doubt Jack wanted April to be part of the scoop where Kinsey announced his bid for the Presidency. That's not Jack. It smells diversion.

So Maybourne, Kinsey, George being threatened by the NID, and now he has reasons to believe his family is no longer under threat. Wow, it sounds like one of those potboiler mysteries. Blackmail? Jack and Maybourne find something to about Kinsey or that Kinsey knows that will make the NID back down?

And I thought the SGC had weird happenings. This was something, for once, that had nothing to do with alien anything. Sadly just human corruption it sounds like.

I don't think I'm going to believe me when I read this again years from now. It sounds too plausible to be true. Better close up the diary and join Jack in bed.

I am going to miss K-9, but the Doctor left him behind and said we'd know why when the time came. Our Toto is the best guard dog the General's girls could ever have. -And- he looks as if he could have been made on Earth. Just an expensive toy that goes around with them. It'll drive the other kids crazy as they bug their parents for one and find it's a 'custom job' with a store that's long out of business. Gotta love Ezra.

Now -that- sounds like SGC strangeness and believable in this diary. Now I can close this diary and say goodnight.

Author's note: For those of you who made the April O'Neill connection, fear not, I have no intention of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle crossover, just connecting the O'Neills of tv/movie land as I did the Carters.


	16. Who's Daughter

Who's Daughter

Sara's diary

Hey SGC oddness went into overdrive today. Jack and team were getting ready to go on a mission when the incoming traveller alert went on. It wasn't quite the same as a base alert, so I didn't have to get Sha're to her hand of the gods, nor make sure Shaun'auc was armed with a Zat, or Chake took off his scarf.

Yes really, that's one of my jobs. Make sure the invisible alien remembers to take off the one item that lets us know where he's at. If we're surprised, Chake is to make sure whatever surprised us is surprised in turn.

But as usual with these wild entries, I digress.

The IDC was SG-1's. Clearly impossible since they're right here in the control room. However the General decides to open the iris anyway. After all stranger things had happened.

Through the event horizon stumbled a blond headed girl who looked shot up. She barely made it past the gate when she pitched over face down onto the ramp.

Needless to say a group of Airmen descend on her, with a call to Janet and Sha're going out over the phone. Jack and company head out to the gate room and shortly thereafter is where I become involved.

You see this young lady was carrying two items, one in each hand. In her right, a crumpled up note, in the other what we thought was a notebook.

However, and here's the first kicker, its one of -my- diaries. The second kicker is I hadn't written it ... yet. The third kicker was the note. It was in Jack's handwriting, and kicker number four was like number two, he hadn't written it yet either.

The last entry in this diary was the year 2010 and from the brief skim of things it didn't look good for humanity on Earth. Apparently in the last-two years the worldwide birth rate has dropped almost ninety-one percent. Most of the people were sterile and so eventually there wouldn't be any more Earth born humans left in a few generations. Not the bright future the SGC had been fighting for, certainly.

I suppose normally this diary would have been turned over to others to look through, not something I relished. However, like our mystery girl, it was shot up and as I know from my own entries, sometimes, many times, I tend to ramble. So with this or that page singed beyond recall, I was given the job of deciphering what I had written.

It was easy to read what was on the note, even with the bloodstains on it. Later Janet's test would show that the several stains belonged to Jack. To say all of us wanted to know what had happened would be an understantment of the year, this or that one in the future.

General Hammond took one look at the note and ordered a lock out of the coordinates to P4C-970. That might have seemed sudden to most, but George had sent a note to himself in the past once. He was well aware such things were possible.

So like the note says, under no circumstances will we go to P4C-970.

That done, it was time to put on my Nancy Drew cap and piece together why. Right now we have a blood stained letter by my husband, a shot up diary with dates of 2010 and a wounded girl who had an ID listing her as Jenny O'Neill.

Drey'auc 2010

When Janet and Cassandra Fraiser brought the news of what the Aschen were doing to the Tau'ri and then the plan to correct it, the decision to go was unanimous. How could we not? What was difficult was trying to talk others from not coming along. However as Master Bra'tac had pointed out, the defenses of where the Chappa'ai is kept are formidable and it will need every weapons we can muster to buy O'Neill time to get his note through at the right moment.

We did not have long to debate it either. The cover of traveling as a family would delay the discovery of our true purpose as well as get many weapons through the Chappa'ai.

Teal'c did not have to convince anyone to go, and he could not persuade any to stay save the Fraisers who it would raise suspicians arriving with a group of Jaffa. Janet and Cassandra could also help my sister Ra'an look after the children who were too young to come along with us.

So we stood there, Bra'tac as our patriach, leading the way through the Chappa'ai, Teal'c and I following, with Shaun'auc and Ishta next, who in turn were followed by Rya'c and Kar'yn.

I see the O'Neills in place, Jack and Sara along with their adopted daughter and K-9. Over by the entryway for those about to use the Chappa'ai, stood Daniel and Sha're Jackson. I do not see Samantha Faxon anywhere, nor her husband. Perhaps she could not come after all. But she has done her part or we would not be here to do ours.

Despite Bra'tac's declaration that our staff weapons are ceremonial, the guard at the gate continued to demand them. Teal'c almost smiled at the guard when he agreed to 'let him have it.'

He did.

That was when the alarms went off even before the body of the guard landed from the shot of said Kara'bashaak'tak. We could see the many, many Aschen attack spheres embedded into the walls, and we knew what we had to do even as my husband shouts, "Jaffa Kree!"

We had to give O'Neill as large an opening through their fire as we could. Rya'c and Kar'yn were already around to the sides of the Chappa'ai, even as the rest of us take our positions, I spare a thought that Rya'c could not have made a better choice to marry than Kar'yn. She had grown into a brave and good wife for my son.

They fired, we all did, in two lines we formed a channel through which O'Neill could run in between the fire of the Aschen attack spheres lining the walls and balconies of this spacious port. A hopeful safe corridor of Jaffa lines to let O'Neill win one more time against impossible odds.

Teal'c and I are at the head of the two lines, firing as my son and daughter-by-marriage did at the end of the lines. Shaun'auc stands behind Teal'c several paces to give a full swing range with our staves, just as Ishta stood her ground several paces past me. Yet more paces behind her, Kar'yn stands and across the path we try to establish, Rya'c has positioned himself.

I see Bra'tac go down first after he pressed the symbols and the Chappa'ai roared to life again.

We do not stop, we do not pause for grief, he would not want that from us. We continue to fire, destroying sphere after sphere.

None could spare the look to see if either Ishta fell before Shaun'auc, but I could hear them cry out as I see O'Neill making his run and very briefly spot Daniel and Sha're using Zat'nik'tels on the spheres thereby hoping to increase the chances for O'Neill to make it. Sara, Jenny and K-9 likely are also firing, yet I could not spare a glance to look.

I never found out if O'Neill did make it to the Chappa'ai as my body succombs to the many hits it took. I see my son remain standing as I lay on my back, his father, my husband also continues to fire shot after shot, with O'Neill nearly to the steps. I do not know if Kar'yn still lives in this storm of Ashen automated fire, for my symbiote can do no more to stay death's reach for me. I die free, hoping the Tau'ri would be saved and believing they would.

O'Neill always wins. It is a truth I hold onto as I leave this life.

Sha're 2010

The Ashen! When Janet told us of what they were doing, not just to me, but all the women of the Earth, I think back to Jack's warnings, how we didn't listen, and he took Sara off to live secluded from us and a world that would not listen to him.

I now know why I couldn't give Daniel a child we had so much wanted to have these past ten years. It is selfish to think only of Daneil and myself, when Sam and Joe, many others wanted children also. Yet I do think of my desire to give my Daniel a child, so this has to work. It will work.

Daniel was brilliant playing the 'Absent-minded Archeologist' as we waited to go through the Chappa'ai. He timed things perfectly so when Teal'c fired, his case that held the two Zat'nik'tels was open and we each snatched up one, took cover to begin firing at the Aschen defense spheres.

After Daniel shot the customs inspector.

Tears blurr my vision, but not spoil my shot as I see Teal'c family die. Bra'tac to whom he considers a father, and he the son he never had, Shaun'auc, Ishta, Kar'yn, and Rya'c. All to give Jack a chance to toss his note in through the Chappa'ai.

Jack is on the stairs leading up to the Chappa'ai when the shots finally mount up and he falls. I think I see him even trying to push the note towards the gate, but I can't spare a look to see. I must keep firing and only spot Sara racing up as Jack stopped moving.

She does not make it far past Jack, and... no! "Dan'yel!" I had not said his name like that in years, but I know why he ran out from cover. He had to get that note, he has to send it through. This has to work, and so I fire, and fire, along with Jenny and K-9.

It is just the three of us firing now, Teal'c had gone down shortly before Jack had made it to the stairs. K-9 rolled out after Jack, and now stood in the center of the path, among the bodies of Teal'c's family, firing shot after shot.

"Dan'yel!" I know what I had to do, even as my body started to run to my fallen husband. He had not even made it to Jack, barely to the stair-ramp to the Chappa'ai before he fell. I could not go to him even as my heart wanted, I had to get to Jack.

Dispair stains my heart as I fall short of the goal, though I die by my husband, I have the faintest hope as I see Sam rush up the lane past me.

She came after all. Dispite her husband demanding she not be involved or he wouldn't have helped us get the GDO we needed, she came.

Perhaps we have a chance yet, it is the only thought I carry to my death, save for my love for Dan'yel.

Sara's summaries

The next ten years for the future me were not good ones. Jack and I had left the SGC after Jack had tried to warn everyone about the Aschen. I read how I didn't just follow my husband blindly, I believed him in from what the future me wrote.

Reading that convinced me that this wasn't a fabrication, beyond the fact we went through something like this before with Jack's trip to 1969. I could see where I trusted Jack enough that if he said something was wrong, it was wrong.

'Jenny O'Neill' turned out not to be our daughter, which may seem obvious just by the fact she isn't a ten-year-old girl, however I was prepared to accept she might have been some future daughter based on SGC weirdness. I mean, how many scifi stories have had the 'baby-grows-up-in-the-single-episode' theme, enough so I was prepared to accept Jenny as my child.

Althogh we did find out later that is what happened to Jenny, it was just she wasn't by Jack and I.

Part of me regreted that. I think I would like to have another child with Jack. Perhaps enough time has passed since Charlie's death we should think about trying again.

"Two heart beats," Janet said as she examined the sleeping twenty-something appearing woman. I say twenty-something not just based on appearance, but Janet ran a check on DNA records and she found a match in the UNIT files.

The Doctor.

The Doctor is her father, a time traveler, a Gallifrean, who by last reports from UNIT is hundreds of years old, although he didn't look more than forty.

I found a passage in my diary that told us why and how she ended up with the future Jack and I. 'She had landed on Earth looking for her father and found us by tracking K-9.'

Apparently K-9 became ours after General Hammond died, with one of my future self's last passages recording that Janet had found out he was murdered by the Aschen and made to look like natural causes, a heart attack. That will make it personal for the General to not want anyone to visit P4C-970.

In the General's will, he left us K-9. So I guess that Jack got the dog he'd been making noises about for a while according to my future self's diary entries.

Toto confirmed that she is the Doctor's daughter and forged an ID for her so she could get around with the Aschen looking out for 'our security' on that Earth of the future. That certainly sounds like a scary future, but what could one expect when they voted for Kinsey to become President.

"Uncle Jack?" Jenny was starting to wake now, and to say both Jack and I were surprised by the first words out of her mouth. Then she sat up quickly, with Janet and Sha're on either side, the former laying a hand on her shoulder, "Easy honey, easy you're safe now."

"Janet? Sha're? Sha're! You're alive!" and we saw Jenny throw her arms around Sha're and gave her a long hug before she let go and looked at the rest of us.

"Uncle Jack! Aunt Sara! Daniel! Sam! Teal'c! Drey'auc! Shaun'auc!" Even as she was quite enthusiastically expressing how glad to see every one, I could hear Jack mutter, "And you were there, and you were there." One elbow, softly I swear, to his side and he stopped, the big clown.

Then Jenny frowned and I thought for a moment she had heard Jack's quip from the Wizard of Oz, but it turned out she had something else on her mind as she looked around.

"Where are is Ishta, Rya'c, or Kar'yn?" Her eyes fell on George and then she stopped and took a breath, "General Hammond, then it worked. I made it. Did you get the note?"

"Yes I did, Miss ... O'Neill?" Jenny smiled at that and shrugged, then her eyes fell on me.

"I had one of your diaries in my hand, did you get it, Aunt Sara?" which I nodded of course. I guess while legally we were her parents in the future, she had called us 'aunt and uncle' instead. Makes sense as we were only parents by law and she knew her dad was alive and somewhere out in time and space.

"Good I guess," Jenny mused, which raised more than one eyebrow. "Well it -is- about the future," she began in an explanatory tone, "but if you're not going to P4C-970, I suppose no harm done to the web of time. Most of the things in that diary won't likely happen anyway."

I had to ask, "What did happen?" And she told us. Sam used the Aschen computers to figure out when the next solar flare would take place, Janet smuggled a note to Teal'c on Chulak to have him and as many as he could come to buy time to get a note through the gate. She told us how she watched as each of us fall, including me.

Despite this being a story of something that technically won't happen, I felt a chill and moved closer to Jack who held me. I noticed Sha're did the same with Daniel, who also held her as Jenny went on with her tale.

"...I saw K-9 finally explode from all the hits he took and realized it was all left to me. I dodged some of the blast, but quite a few hit," she took a moment to examine the holes in her shirt, holes that had no wounds under them. She didn't look surprised, so either she was use to Sha're healing, or she heals fairly fast on her own.

"I made it up to you Aunt Sara, and thought if I do make it, maybe having your diary would convince them, so I snatched it up out of your hand," she gave me a look as if she knew I was about to ask why I had my diary there in the first place, "You had a similar thought, that's why you brought it along. Okay, where was I? Right... I remember being hit all over then, mentally kicking myself as I realized what the pause to get the diary was now costing me."

She stopped talking then and looked at no-one in particular, likely reliving all the shots she was taking now that the remaining Aschen spheres had only her as a target.

Jenny shook her head and continued on, her eyes focused back on us, "I scrambled past Uncle Jack, and then made it to Sam where I picked up the note. She was just about at the Stargate and it lay ...inches from the event horizong." I noticed the break there and figured it was Jack's influence.

If she lived with us for as long as the diary entries suggest, Jack would have insisted on her using inches and feet instead of the metric meter system. I think she had just about said centimeters instead of inches.

I had to wonder if she guessed what I was thinking when she winked at Jack and me before finishing her narrative, "I think it was just chance that the note didn't fly through on its own by sheer momentum of Sam's fall. Which is how I must have made it through. I had the note in one hand, Aunt Sara's diary in the other, and the last thing I remember was pitching forward."

By now I was up near the head of her bed, and she took my hand. With Jack looking on, she shrugged again and actually giggled, "I guess I did make it after all."


	17. Absolute Mess

Absolute Mess

Sara's story

I suppose asking how did it come to this is rather cliché, but it's what I am thinking now, when I can think at all. It feels like my heart is racing as Jack drives us up the long and rather guarded drive way. What an estate, I could only imagine what it costs. Somebody is living very well.

Except for the all the guards.

"Deep breaths Aunt Sara, you shouldn't look so nervous when we get up the drive way," Jenny tells me taking my hand. Of course I'm -still- getting us to her calling me Aunt, and Jack Uncle, but as I understand from the future timeline, that gratefully won't happen, she's done that for years. Kind of hard to ask her to stop and its not like Jack or I are strangers to the weird and wonderful world of the SGC temporal mishaps.

It's a nice mild distraction from what we have to do, or try to do. Jack was so determined after visiting Sam in jail yesterday, and he still won't talk about what happened to Teal'c and his family. Officially listed as MIA, I don't think Jack believes that, neither did Sam for that matter. Maybe that's why Jack went to visit her.

I wish I had gone, maybe I'd have a better idea of why we're doing this, or at least give a little rest to why we lost our friends, why I won't see Drey'auc any more.

Squeezing Jenny's hand one more time, the car stops and we get out. I suppose Jack would say its showtime.

We're checked, shown inside to see that it's as sumptuous as the outside of what could be called a mansion, a far cry to what I ever expect to see our Spacemonkey is living in.

Jenny takes my hand and it reminds me that even though she looks like she's in her twenties, she can fight probably as well if not better than Jack, she's still technically only a few years old...or she sensed I wanted a little affirmation things were going to be alright.

Any further thoughts along the lines of who was more in need was drawn up short when we were shown down to the basement and we saw the Jacksons, minus Shifu.

All I could think of is what happened to Sha're? She looks more like some movie starlet or supermodel with the way she's dressed, and she's never had lips so red before. Just what is going on here?

It looks like something out of a James Bond movie when we get to the basement. Something about just monitoring everything and ready to fix things if anything goes wrong with the launch.

Sam told me a little about what's being launched, a group of satellites that will be able to protect the Earth from the Goa'uld.

That was before she was arrested for trying to stop it or something.

Just what did Shifu put in Daniel's head?

Drey'auc's day Several Months ago

"Daniel Jackson has changed much since the Harsesis gave him the knowledge of the Goa'uld," my husband says as we take cover from more blast from Apophis Serpent guards.

"I do not think he would have normally asked us to undertake such a mission before," Shaun'auc comments showing how much her skills have improved with practice.

"He gives us the heart of Apophis and you question him?" Bra'tac asked incredulously, he spins around a corner and two more guards fall.

"His stratagem has gotten us past his defenses," I point out as we advance behind Bra'tac and Teal'c, my son and many others behind him. Not as many as we started out with, but to stop Apophis many were willing to lay down their lives.

Robby was able to get us through the gate, absorbing much of the fire that would have decimated any other kind of attack, and cleared the way for us to enter the Ha'tak just as Daniel Jackson said we could with the codes given us.

Daniel Jackson's further gift of the no longer so rare shock grenades has as the Tau'ri say even the odds. He was able to make many of them for us to use with this attack.

They have helped win our way to the pel'tak of Apophis. We are to hold him there until Daniel Jackson's final part of his plan is executed.

Rya'c holds up a communications globe with Daniel Jackson's image in it. "We have Apophis Daniel Jackson. We have him pinned down in his very own pel'tak.

"Good, good Rya'c. Tell your father that all he has to do is hold him there a little while longer. It will be all over soon."

I do not know why such words would fill me with dread. Daniel Jackson has been a friend, an ally, since I joined my husband in exile among the Tau'ri.

I barely feel the heat on my skin before I feel nothing at all as a planet-killing Naquadah bomb goes off after a MALP delivers it through the Chappa'ai.

Sha're's story

Nish'ta. I still cannot believe my darling has given me nish'ta. Is this what my son was warning us about? I believe. I believe too late to stop my Dan'yel, but I believe. This is knowledge we should not have asked for, the price too high, too great.

Shifu gave it to Dan'yel and I did not realize how much it changed him even after he sent Teal'c, Drey'auc and Shaun'auc off on a mission they never came back from.

I had noticed how focused my Dan'yel had become, but he was like that whenever he found new knowledge. What I should have paid attention to was how distant and cold he was slowly becoming. I should have been warned as he sometimes touched or looked at me as Apophis did Amonet.

It had to have been one of those times, the last time, when I protested the touch. He held me more like the man I fell in love with and then later came to me as we lay in bed. Then he placed something over my nose and mouth and held me down until I did not want to fight anymore. That is my body did not wish to fight, my mind did at first, but even then it slowly just wanted to do what Dan'yel told me to do.

Like always wearing the hand of the gods now. I am to follow him around, protect him. He even improved my Goa'kesh'sha to have a shield.

I use more cosmetics now, although Dan'yel has hired someone to do my makeup and hair. I also wear those high heels that he said I did not have to before.

It is so much like Amonet in some ways. I dress different, more for show than before and always travel with Dan'yel who explains that I must always look pretty with him. Was I not pretty before?

Watching Jack, Sara and Jenny walk in, I feel so odd as if I now have to worry about them attacking Dan'yel. Why should they want to?

Yet after the launch, and Dan'yel plans to do something to the Russians, that is precisely what Jack and Jenny do. My shield protects Dan'yel from Jack shooting him, and I use my Goa'kesh'sha to fling Jenny up against the wall.

I cannot stop myself as I walk up to Sara and reach for her as I remember Amonet doing to so many, even my dear Dan'yel. I see the fire leap from my palm and strike Sara in the center of her forehead.

I can see she wants to scream, I can hear Jack shouting at me, Jenny starting to get up, and start to shed tears that I can give no voice to explain, to say how sorry I am.

Tacuchnatagamuntorons around the walls of this room start to fire upon Jack and Jenny, both trying to take cover and only Jenny actually dodging some of its fire.

No, Sara, no I can't do this to Sara!

Pain, I send her pain, I see her convulse and shout in my mind, my soul for this to stop. Dan'yel please stop this! Please stop me!

Dan'yel!

Sara's summary

"Dan'yel!" I don't know why Sha're all of a sudden yelled at her husband, but it woke him up like nothing else did. He startled and took one look at her, his eyes growing wet, both of them really and then they hugged each other.

"Okay folks, let's give them a moment," my Jack said ushering us out of the room. I still remember waiting and wondering what that was all about, when Teal'c suggested maybe it was a dream of some kind.

"But Sha're seems to experienced it too," Sam pointed out, ever the observant scientist.

"Oh it wasn't a dream," Jenny says so casually that her tone draws us in more than her words. "What?"

"Not a dream?" Jack prompts, and Janet pokes her head out, having heard the last few sentences.

"Maybe you better explain this to everyone at once, Jenny. The Jacksons are threw their immediate meltdown, but if you can shred some light, I'm sure they'll appreciate it."

"Okay," only our girl could make it sound so light, yet already I feel one of those 'Sam Carter explanations-I-am-not-going-to-really-understand headaches coming on.

"Jenny, you said this wasn't a dream, but Daniel was sleeping, and Sha're wasn't, however Sha're you mentioned you saw what Daniel saw," Janet summed up and I think by now all of us could guess it was that soul binding thing Kosh told us about, Ina'kalesh.

"Well, it wasn't a dream. It did happen, but like with me, it's a future event that -now- won't happen," she paused to see if all of us really understood. Jack and I looked at Sam.

"If I understand her, Daniel and Sha're saw the future, one that could have happened, but now won't."

"Right, it is -a- future out of many. For me, mine was just as bit as real as any of your yesterdays, only I'm the only one who will ever remember it because it will never happen to any of you now. For the Jacksons," Jenny turned and even took Daniel's and then Sha're's hands, "They saw -a- future, thought they experienced it, but really it was just like a very vivid dream or vision. Like prophecy, 'cept nothing religious or supernatural."

"Which could explain the actual effect those who claim to see the future and it comes to pass. They see an event because their perception time travels.." I could see Jack could tell that Sam was about to launch into a full out explanation of hers, she had the signs of getting really excited.

"Carter!"

"Sorry sir."

Jenny almost looked disappointed, which is to say she was a little less bubbly, "So whatever they saw, they saw it as if it happened to them. For them it was real, only now it won't happen."

I saw Daniel turn to Shifu, I suppose in all the excitement most of us sort of forgot he was sitting on the bed next to the Jacksons.

"So that's what you meant. I understand now." Sha're went over and hugged her son, "I understand now too my son. You can't ever use that knowledge," now her tears seemed ones of goodbye.

"You have to go don't you?" her hands went over her son's face as if getting all the touches she knows she won't after today. I can't say my eyes were dry, not just because I know this is goodbye for Sha're's son, but I know how she feels, or will feel.

I can't help wondering if I would have been like this if I had time to say goodbye to Charlie. Shifu is about the same age Charlie had been when he died.

When he went glowly, I moved up to Sha're and held her from behind. No-one else really would know what it's like to lose your boy and she shouldn't have to face that alone. Jack moved up behind us and his arms went around both of us.

I didn't look to see if his eyes were wet, they might not have been, but in his heart, he was crying too. For Shifu, for Charlie. Our boys we'd never see growing up.

Oh Shifu is alive, but from what he said we wouldn't be seeing him ever again. I won't say just as good as dead, for in the days to come Sha're will keep that hope alive in her mind, even as she also realizes he's gone and not coming back.

I don't know what the Jacksons saw, I just hope it was worth Shifu coming back briefly to leave them forever.


	18. Light of Our Lives

Light of Our Lives

Sara's story

"I'm going to be fine, Aunt Sara," Jenny reassured me yet again, still she's going out with SG-1, and while technically she's suppose to be a better soldier than even Jack, she still looks small and petite even dressed in BDUs, and carrying a P90.

Of course I am seeing her off not just because I'm her 'Aunt' as her paperwork says I am, but because she's alien and that means she falls under my responsibilities as den mother to visiting and staying aliens on Earth.

Which reminds me, I need to check in with Marty again. He only called for our last scheduled meeting and didn't show up. That's kind of not like him. I hope he's not gone government conspiracy again. He's calling in makes sense then since I'm government, he would want to avoid me.

Still, just because he's being difficult doesn't mean I can write him off. I'll check up on him later today.

Chake is doing alright, although he wants another chance to out and see the world beyond the SGC. Out of all of our resident aliens, it's least likely he'll be granted that.

Vin gets to stay at Chris sometimes, and of course Sha're and Cassie are legal residence, one through marriage, the other adoption, but like the Jaffa, Chakehalaote (see I can say it) are not allowed off base unless on a mission or approved vacation.

That makes me smile thinking of Chake on vacation, the image of him in a Hawaiian shirt nearly sets me to giggling.

"What I'm worried about are the Jacksons," Jenny's concern brings me back to the here and now as I walk her as we wait for Sam to join us in the gateroom. The two of them are going with Lt. Barber over to P4X-347 to hook up with SG-5 and Daniel.

"They're working it out. Whatever they saw in the future, they know it was due to the Goa'uld influence, and in a way I think it'll help them more than it hurt them," says the unofficial psychologist in me.

"How so, Aunt Sara?" a question I'm not sure she's really asking because she doesn't know or to keep us talking. Like Jack she's brilliant, and doesn't like to let others in on it. At least that's my private theory to the bubbling blond demeanor she has.

Of course with Jenny I've found out, it could be she's just that happy about life.

"Well you know Sha're was possessed by a Goa'uld for three years," I prompt and am rewarded with a nod and bob of her ponytail, "Daniel has been very supportive of her once she's free, but he didn't have the experience of being evil as the Goa'uld can make one. So there was only so much support he could give. Now he understands through personal experience."

I hear Jack and Sam walking up behind us, Sam sounds very incredulous from her tone, "Oh, I do but Daniel says that of all the…That was the bet? Whether or not I'd go? Don't you have anything better to do?"

Jenny giggles as I roll my eyes, I knew about the bet, and already teased my husband after we heard that Sam was going to go.

All of us are completely stunned when Barber suddenly runs to the gate just as the seventh Chevron is locked and the vortex whooshed out from the gate, killing him.

It's now been over an hour and I'm still stunned.

They're up in the briefing room right now talking about it. I'd like to believe its SGC weirdness at work, but suicides happen in life, sad to say. Barber could just have used what he knew to be a quick way out. I didn't know him well, I don't even recall his first name.

Everyone at the SGC seemed in shock the rest of the day and I guess that's why Jack dismissed Daniel going a bit out of character for him when he kept insisting to go back to the planet that night instead of tomorrow.

On the drive home, Jack told me Daniel even tried to get Hammond to let him go that night. Jack had to practically drag Daniel out of the office.

Hopefully things will be better this morning. As usual Jenny was up first and way too perky for either Jack or I. But she either has learned from us by now, or learned from our future selves, to tone it down a notch or two until we've had our cups of coffee in the morning.

Particularly Jack. Of course -I- am just fine in the morning. Really.

Everyone at the SGC is trying to get back to a sense of normality in the wake of Barber's suicide, there is that over unspoken agreement to not talk about it, and yet everyone wants to try and figure out why he killed himself.

It's a puzzle that nearly overshadows another one. Daniel hasn't shown up yet and he was all set to go to P4X-347 last night. So where is he this morning?

One phone call from Sha're and I have my answer. Intuition screams this is no coincidence.

"Jack," my tone caught his attention immediately, "That was Sha're on the phone. I think we should head over there. Apparently Daniel just tried to kill himself."

I nearly had to run to keep up with Jack and Jenny. I'm sure had the others been around, it would be the rest of SG-1 coming along.

Concern for Daniel and Sha're aside, only a newbie here at the SGC couldn't see that this was odd. Not so much Daniel of all people trying to kill himself, but this in light of yesterday's suicide of Barber.

This can't be a coincidence, and on our way out I hear over the speakers a call for SG-5 to report to the infirmary.

Drey'auc's day

Major Richard Thacher is not one I would call listless normally, but this morning he is. At first I would think it was the suicide of one under his command. Lieutenant Barber was new to SG-5 and apparently was well received among all of them.

His loss had hit all of them hard as they did not see this coming and it is more than the sudden loss in combat as my husband has told me about and I have yet to experience.

It is not knowing the foe that killed him. This one an inner foe that he strove against and lost to it.

It is possibly a foe that afflicts all of SG-5 for all of them appear not themselves as Teal'c and I help get them to the Infirmary for Dr. Frasier to examine.

I accompany the guards to get Captain Linda Beach, Teal'c and other guards met us as he escorted Major Thacher. Others will get Captain Brendan Kerr and Lieutenant Peter Jones.

Shaun'auc is the one who comes to get us to tell us the new of Daniel Jackson. Hearing he tried to end his life is evidence that something is wrong. This is no inner foe, or if so it was put there by something else.

"That is not like Daniel Jackson," Teal'c states for the three of us.

"Time to suit up campers, we're headed to P4X-347," O'Neill tells us not too long afterwards, "All but you Shaun'auc. Just like you helped with Daniel with the translations last night, we want you to help Claire."

I can see Shaun'auc is disappointed in not going along with Teal'c and I, but she gives a slight bow of her head to show she'll comply with O'Neill's directive.

So Teal'c, Major Carter, O'Neill, Jenny and I attire ourselves in environmental masks for our mission to P4X-347.

"Perhaps Serpent armor would have been a better choice, it would be better fitting," my husband comments on before putting on the Tau'ri environmental mask. I agree that the Goa'uld elite guard armor mask would be easier to work in, but only Teal'c could wear one.

And the Tau'ri may not wish to see him in such a garb as useful as it would be about now. Although I hear from Tolok his sons wear their Horus mask at times helping the Tau'ri of Moonbase Alpha.

It is ironic as I think about this that O'Neill shares news from them, "I tried to get Alpha to send down AMEE, but the word is a no-go. So we're on our own campers. Keep your eyes sharp and remember Shaun'auc spotted the shadow of someone at the temple, someone SG-5 nor Daniel saw."

Teal'c had told me about that, he was there helping Daniel and Shaun'auc with the translations. A First Prime and a Priestess were more helpful than what the Tau'ri would call a Jaffa 'housewife.'

Once through the Chappa'ai, Teal'c and I flank the others left and right, our Kara'bashaak'tak at the ready. Jenny and Major Carter flank O'Neill closer in as we take up positions ready to fight a foe that does not meet us at the Chappa'ai upon our exit.

Major Carter confirms the air is well and we may remove these sight limiting mask of the Tau'ri.

Jenny is the first one to spot whatever created that shadow on the film, O'Neill is the second and signals us with his hands.

As one we move in, Jenny fitting in well with our movements as if she had been months to years training with SG-1. Indeed, she seems to fit in far easier than I do.

She and O'Neill are the first to catch up to the boy. A ...teen as the Tau'ri would say in his own area, a home of some kind.

We search while O'Neill and Jenny continue to talk to the one called Loran. That is when we encounter the Light. It is so beautiful to look upon time itself feels as if it does not move.

Yet march it does as an hour later we are summoned to the Chappa'ai, General Hammond has news for us.

"SG-5 is nearly dead. Mrs. Jackson is all that separates them and death. I know you're trying your best SG-1, but hurry if you can. We need answers."

Hammond's words were not needed to spur us along. I do know from my husband that even the false gods could not go on forever healing with the hand of life. Sha're must be using the Ka'kesh'prim'ta to keep SG-5 alive.

Sha're's story

Dan'yel trying to kill himself is still vivid in my mind as I go from Rich'ard to Lin'da, Bren'dan to Pe'ter. It was not a complete surprise that he would try to do so to me.

I had thought to do so after Amonet and it is the love of my Dan'yel that helped me through that dark period. I am sure it is my love that helped him through the darkness the knowledge of Shifu had briefly given him.

I know I have to put aside what we saw of that future. To not think about the nish'ta he had given me. To remember it was not really my Dan'yel, but what the evil of the Goa'uld could do to him that made him that way.

I had wondered afterwards if it was Dan'yel who wanted me to wear such clothes or the Goa'uld's evil that compelled him. I know when I first put on lipstick he did seem to like it, although he did not notice at first other than something was different about me.

Sara says that is typical about men of the Tau'ri. They don't notice immediately when you change something about your appearance.

Thoughts I chide myself about as I heal Pe'ter keeping him alive when his body wants to shut down and die.

I have to add Dan'yel to those I heal by the time Jack is back with samples for Jan'et. I know she is concerned about me.

Healing is draining and I tire so easily now, but I know I cannot stop. I have to keep going or all of SG-5 will die.

Horrified, I found I fell asleep leaning over my Dan'yel. Only the beeps and alarms of his bed wake me as Jan'et and others rush to my husband's side.

I focus, I try so hard to bring him back to me. I can feel that spark of him still there, and hear the beep of Jan'et's machines that say his heart still beats.

Barely I hear that now Jack is addicted to that place my Dan'yel had been, where SG-5 had been and now all of them need to go.

One last time I give them each a spark of life from the healing device on my palm, staying with Dan'yel even as they wheel him up the ramp after Jack. He will be on the other end of the Chappa'ai to get each gurney as Jan'et and her team rolls them through.

"Mrs. Jackson!" an Airman whose name I am too weak to recall has grabbed me as I try to follow Dan'yel through. More from what the Tau'ri call momentum as I walk and heal him than a conscious decision to go with him to that place that tried to kill him.

I barely stay awake to hear from Jack on the other side of the Chappa'ai that SG-5 and my Dan'yel are up and awake now before I give in sleep.

Sara's story

So Jack brings home another stray. That's what I tease him about later on after we've left the base and Loran behind. Jenny is going to stay the night there and keep him company. I suppose a friendly face is what the boy needs after spending so long alone.

Despite how recent it's been since Jenny came from the future to us, with her not around when we get home the house feels kind of empty.

We're not quite ready to make Charlie's room into Jenny's, but I have to admit she's wormed her way into our hearts and while Jack won't admit it, he misses the fact she's not here too.

So we talk about Loran, we talk about his introduction to ice cream, and we talk a little bit about Jack's time on P4X-347.

The fact we don't talk much about it says volumes. Something happened there that Jack didn't like and from what we talk about I think he and Sam nearly came to blows there.

I had heard he lost his temper with Janet in the infirmary the first time back from P4X-347, apparently his temper was short when he, Sam, Teal'c and Drey'auc took a walk past some kind of safe point from the temple.

Drey'auc didn't give any indication if she and Teal'c had those kinds of problems, but then it wouldn't be apparent in our stoic Jaffa couple. I'll ask tomorrow when we get back on base. I have to go even if Jack has down time now, if only to see Loran and make sure he's comfortable.

After all, I am the den mother to our resident aliens.


	19. Brilliant!

Brilliant!

Sara's story

Air force Academy, not where I thought I would be spending anytime, well not in years did I think that. I can recall thinking Charlie might follow his father's footsteps as one possible future.

I feel almost guilty that I can think about Charlie without the pain of his loss crippling me. It hurts, it always will, but I think some healing is going on. I also think having Jenny living with us has helped.

Jack and I are no longer so resistant with finally taking Charlie's room down and making it Jenny's. Which says a lot. We're not actually ready yet, but at the same time it is something we can talk about now. A month or so ago, certainly last year, it wasn't even a subject either of us could have brought up to the other.

Of course the sight of Jenny sleeping on the sofa is somewhat a motivator. If she weren't so perky in the morning, well all day, we might be moving faster on this major decision and having regrets if we did.

Sometimes I think Jenny knows exactly what she's doing and what she means to both Jack and I.

"Are you following any of this, Aunt Sara?" she whispers as we sit off to the side in an auditorium full of Air force Academy cadets. She's dressed for the part, while I am the obvious civilian in this crowd as we listen to Sam give her lecture.

Giving Jenny a look, she nearly giggles, and I realize she asked just to keep me from being completely bored out of my skull.

No I wasn't following what Sam was talking about, but then she didn't expect that. Sam had been rather surprised when I asked about coming today. She was surprised until I mentioned Jenny wanted to come and then I think she felt somewhere between flattered and intimidated.

Jenny does the perky act very well, actually I don't think it's an act that makes it even scarier, however it is easy to dismiss how intelligent she is being the daughter of a Time Lord and not just any, but the Doctor.

A woman who is following in her father's footsteps even if she doesn't have a time machine like he does. She's traveling to other worlds, righting wrongs, doing the right thing. She's just doing it with SG-1 instead of a TARDIS.

At least thinking about Jenny took me through the rest of Sam's speech. I knew it was brilliant, she is our resident girl-genius after all, so I applauded with the rest of the cadets at the end.

I suppose I should have felt guilty that I was glad it was over, and was more like most of the cadets who filed out, just wanting to move on with my day. I didn't notice one had walked up to the stage and seemed intent on looking at Sam's equations she had written up on the huge white board up there.

Jenny walked up next to the cadet, who didn't even bother to look her way. They both just stared at the equations and I got the feeling Jenny was waiting for the cadet to come to some conclusion.

I didn't have to wait long.

"This is wrong."

I saw Sam's face, she looked bewildered and I have to admit despite not knowing a thing of what was squiggled up there I was ready to come to her defense from this girl-of-woman who dared criticize my friend who probably is the smartest woman on Earth.

Okay, double take on Jenny and let me revise that to the smartest -human- woman on Earth.

I nearly missed the 'you're-too-young-to-correct-your-elders' reproach that inevitably came from Professor Monroe, one of Sam's former Professors. The cadet didn't miss it, who I learn is named Jennifer Hailey after she left once she said the obligatory, "Yes, sir, of course. My apologies, Ma'am."

It appears much to the Professor's and my surprise that Jennifer was correct.

From the smile on Jenny's face I knew she knew even before Sam admitted that Jennifer was right and something about the variables being switched. I didn't follow what she was right about, but that said volumes about how intelligent this Hailey girl is to have spot a mistake.

Whatever it was.

I wasn't too surprised when we gathered to return to base later that Cadet Hailey joined us for the ride. Listening to what she and Jenny were talking about behind us, I caught on that she was a discipline case. One where she was too smart for her own good, getting bored with no real challenges at the Academy.

She didn't say that in those words, but I can read between the lines of the girl talk Jenny was getting out of Jennifer.

That explained this trip more than I originally guessed. She wasn't just so smart Sam wanted to pull a Wesley Crusher from Star trek. No, from what I gathered, she was giving this girl a chance to see what is ahead of her if she sticks it out in the Academy.

Jack was gone off-world already when we arrived at base. Teal'c and Drey'auc along with him, leaving Shaun'auc off with Daniel and SG-11.

So I see Jenny off and get to see Jennifer's amazed look as she sees the Stargate in operation. The girl actually flinched back when the vortex whooshed out from the gate.

For a moment I was back with Barber as he raced to kill himself.

Feeling Jenny's hand in my own, I turn to look at that brilliant smile of hers, "Think about how Jennifer is looking at now, not on what it was like when he died." Neither of us needed to say who 'he' was who died.

She's one perceptive girl hiding under all that blond perkiness.

Squeezing her hand back, I watch as she joins Jennifer and Sam as they walk up the ramp on off on their adventure to M4C-862.

Drey'auc's day

I suspect O'Neill would rather be the one to greet Samantha Carter, Jenny O'Neill and Jennifer Hailey as they come through the Chappa'ai, but he and my husband believe they should 'watch out' for the Tau'ri scientist. He seems to feel that they will 'sneak off' on their own if he does not keep an eye on them.

"Welcome," I greet in the manner of the Tau'ri, "I understand you are Jennifer Hailey. I am Drey'auc."

I see her eyes search me due to my greeting, which I presume it was the manner of how I spoke her name instead of using a diminutive.

They stop at the symbol on my forehead.

"Ask," I let her know she has the permission I see she wishes in her eyes.

"Okay, what does that mean? I don't think its just any tattoo," Jennifer Hailey has the confidence to ask, and I am surprised to find Jenny O'Neill providing the answer. One I shouldn't have been surprised as she is the daughter of the Oncoming Storm.

"It's the symbol of the Yautja. It is a symbol of respect and membership of a clan given by an elder," from the way Jenny O'Neill speaks this I suspect it is from an unexpected memory.

"That is correct Jenny O'Neill, I fought beside an elder against the Ash'rak'taaka and to honor me he gave me this mark over the one of the false god Apophis," I see this information surprises her and I wonder how much she does know.

"The Goa'uld, enemies of the Earth and humanity," Samantha Carter quickly explains, adding, "I'll tell you the rest later."

"So what country are you from?" even as I hear the question, I suspect she realizes I am not of the Tau'ri already, she merely wishes to confirm it.

"I am from the world of Chulak, and not of the Tau'ri."

"That's the name the rest of the galaxy has for Earth," Samantha Carter explains once more. It would be that way as we make our way to camp.

"Thank you Drey'auc for answering all my questions," Jennifer Hailey says after we arrive at camp and O'Neill joins us leaving me free to go and see where my husband is.

They enter the main building where a new life form is being studied. One that is like a glowing point of light, the size of a Tau'ri fly. Doctor Hamilton was quite insistent to study it and Doctor Lee came up with a way to trap it using electrical fields.

Jennifer Hailey was in the company of Jenny O'Neill and talking with my husband later about how many Chappa'ai there were when Doctor Lee runs into camp, holding his arm apparently injured.

"Colonel O'Neill! Colonel O'Neill! Colonel O'Neill! Help! Colonel O'Neill!" I can see O'Neill and Samantha Carter along with Doctor Hamilton and others running out of the main building in response to Doctor Lee's call.

Apparently Doctor Thompson was attacked by the life forms. O'Neill gives his orders even as he is on the run to the clearing where we first encountered the glowing forms and where Doctor Thompson is now. "Carter, get them inside. Teal'c, Drey'auc, Jenny with me."

We do find Doctor Thompson but it is too late for him. He is dead.

Not one of us misses the fact his skin is covered in welts that we surmise are where the life forms entered and exited out of his body. Jenny says as much sounding as knowledgeable as Doctor Frasier.

"Carter, let's get everyone back to the Stargate, we're getting out of here," O'Neill radios as soon as Jenny is finished her examination.

Teal'c volunteers to take Doctor Thompson's body when O'Neill shakes his head in the negative.

"No, leave him, he'll only slow us down," O'Neill makes the call that all three of us understand as we head back to camp to make sure everyone has gotten out alright.

We enter the main building to find out that indeed no-one has left yet. Major Carter is busy tending to Doctor Lee's arm as the others watch.

"Hey! Just what about my radio transmission did you not understand? Let's go!" O'Neill orders prompting Major Carter to finish up and all of us to start to leave for the Chappa'ai. Teal'c leads, O'Neill entrust me to bring up the rear as we leave.

We do not get far before my husband spots a swarm of the creatures heading right towards us.

"All right, back inside!" O'Neill orders and my husband points out after we're in that the walls will not stop the swarm. We had observed earlier how they can pass through solid objects.

Of course O'Neill looks to Major Carter for a solution, one she is expected to come up with in the fifteen seconds we likely have before the swarm attacks.

I see her and Jenny O'Neill look at each other and then at a backpack with a Zat'nik'tel holstered on it.

"...Zats deliver an electrical charge; they're the only weapon I can think of that we have that might have an effect." She sounds unsure, but Jenny O'Neill gives an affirming nod and all of us either unholster a Zat'nik'tel, or grab one off their packs.

Since none of the scientist nor Cadet Hailey have any, it is only O'Neill, Major Carter, Jenny O'Neill and I who have them out and ready when the swarm flies through the walls of the building to try and attack us.

We find that Major Carter again is correct as we fire our Zat'nik'tels and drive the life forms away. Indeed if they are near a surface we fire a Zat'nik'tel at they disperse.

Teal'c found they did so when a body is hit as he had to shoot Doctor Hamilton when he was attacked. They scattered away from him. It was an observation Major Carter makes later after the life forms retreat from our barrage of firing Zat'nik'tels.

She didn't share her observation immediately, she was too busy working with Jenny O'Neill and Cadet Hailey to help set up an electric field in the very walls of the metal building, what the Tau'ri call aluminum. By connecting cables from a circuit box it should generate the very field that kept one of life forms captive in the walls to keep them out.

With the rest of us closing the metal shutters around the windows, we are ready when the swarm comes back at us.

Looking at where they spark as they tried to enter but fail to, all of us see the wisdom of Major Carter once more. This should have engendered all to accept her words of explanations, yet it did not Cadet Hailey.

I do not follow it all, save her explanation to the violent behavior of the life forms was not due to retaliation for holding one to study, but the position of this moon we are on. Something to do with the planet's magnetic field and this moon's place along it.

Her reasoning, if I understand her, is sound. They did become violent when the moon was in the place she said it, yet Major Carter's observation of retaliation makes more sense to me.

Jenny O'Neill points out they both could be right. The 'Light bugs' as O'Neill calls them, could have been put in a violent behavior so they would likely be inclined to strike back from the capture of one of their number, regardless of its release later.

In the end, why they wish to kill us matters little. We must leave as the generator providing power to the electric field of the walls is not infinite. It may run out before the moon's position changes and hope the light bugs violent behavior ends.

Regardless Major Carter's plan to use the Chappa'ai as a 'giant superconductor' to create a field once its active that will drive the light bugs from the area means someone has to go out to the Chappa'ai to activate it.

I see in my husband's eyes it does not surprise either of us that O'Neill decides he is the one to go.

"Colonel, you're risking your life for nothing," Cadet Hailey points out trying to appeal to O'Neill to trust her judgment.

"Decision's made," he replies in a tone that should have ended the discussion. It does for the Cadet, it didn't for Jenny O'Neill.

"I should go. I'm faster than you are Uncle Jack," I see her raise the point even before O'Neill can object the first time, adding, "And you're the officer in charge. You should send a subordinate instead of risking yourself."

From the words that follow I gather she is quoting from the regulations O'Neill's military order follows.

"Don't you go Air force on me young lady!" O'Neill retorts prompting Cadet Hailey to ask, "She's not Air force? Why is she here?"

"I'm here to save us silly," Jenny O'Neill's reply is in keeping to one in O'Neill's company.

"Drey'auc will you just shoot me and get this over with?" she asks even as we realize O'Neill will not force the issue. I do without further delay, after all she is right, as our leader, O'Neill should not risk himself although not one of us doubts his willingness to do so.

We watch as she falls, twitches, and becomes stills to suddenly just opens her eyes as if she's waking up all at once.

"Okay, time to go!" she practically hops up and runs out the door after Major Carter turns off the power to the electric field of the building.

"When she opens the gate, all of us go. Don't take anything," O'Neill orders and turns to Doctor Hamilton who was gathering up a few files, "If you take so much as a file folder I'll shot you."

Sha're's story

I wish it had been Drey'auc who went with Dan'yel instead of Shaun'auc. I have grown to trust Drey'auc to look after my Dan'yel when I cannot, and do not know if Shaun'auc will be as watchful as Drey'auc had been. Still I must put all of this aside as I help Sara welcome Loran to the world of the Tau'ri.

It is a rather quickly put together, but Sara is able to get Cassie to come to a party, and Drey'auc was able to contact her son to have him visit while Chris let Vin come with SG-7 on standown.

I understand why she is doing this and think it's a wonderful idea. When I first came to the Tau'ri I had Dan'yel, when Drey'auc came she had Teal'c and Rya'c, Cassie had Jan'et and even Vin had SG-7 who looked after him as family.

Loran has no-one for now. I understand that good Mother is trying to decipher his parent's language to try and find out where they came from, but for now Loran is here on Earth and alone.

It is good to see Rya'c again, he has grown so much. I think briefly of Shifu and wonder if I will see my son again as a grown man as Drey'auc will see her son.

I had cooked many dishes for this party, and I hope everyone will enjoy them. Sara had backed an apple pie, and brought along ice cream that Loran had found he liked. Jan'et a casserole for our gathering.

"So yes I have learned to ride a scooter," Cassie was saying at one point as we sat down for our first round of choosing the various dishes of the buffet set out in one room Wal'ter arranged for us to use.

"Scooter?" Loran asked and I see Jan'et give her daughter a look that could have been a warning of some kind.

Like many daughters of the Tau'ri, she paid her mother little heed on such matters, "Well I couldn't learn to ride a motorcycle like Sam has."

"What is riding or driving like?" Loran ask after Cassie mentioned about some of the boys at her school driving trucks.

"It is dangerous," I find myself saying before I realize it.

"The rules of the Tau'ri make it so," Rya'c comes to my defense, covering my embarrassment. I still do not like driving as much as Sara has worked to get me to try to learn.

"There are many things one must know and if one does not others are not forgiving of the fact one lacks in such knowledge," Rya'c says and I wonder when he had time to make such observations. Likely before I came back to my Dan'yel when he was going to a Tau'ri school with Cassie and his Tau'ri name was Ryan.

"It is the same with their dating rituals," Vin adds looking at Cassie who ignores his look as well as her mother's. I think there is more to this than what is said.

"I'm picky," Cassie said and at first I thought it was that Vin was interested in her, but I see in his eyes the same I had seen in Skaara's eyes, Vin is the protective brother, not one who wishes Cassie's attention himself.

"You should pick better, like Sam, he likes you," Vin went on to say to Jan'et's interest as well as my own and Sara's.

"Sam who?" the reply came as if she didn't know and in truth my first thought was Saman'tha, but that cannot be right.

"Sam Witwicky," Rya'c says from the other side of Cassie, I think Rya'c met the son of Sara's neighbors when the three of them went to school.

Having noticed we hadn't said much to Loran, I turned to him to find he looked amused and happy to just be around other people, although still unused to speaking up for himself.

It is Loran's look that Cassie uses to change the subject, "So what was your world like, Loran?"

Looking into Jan'et's and Sara's eyes I see the ploy did not work, they wanted to know more, however Cassie's intent was successful as far as the boys were concerned and really we are here for Loran, not to find out more about whose heart Cassie has attracted.

We shall have to do that ... later.

Sara's summary

Jenny turned out to be quite the sprinter. She light bugs chased her, and I almost can see her smiling as she ran for the DHD and dialed up the Gate. She was certainly smiling as she told me about it on the way home that night.

Thinking back to when they first walked out of the gate coming home, I can see Sam's ploy to get Jennifer to straighten up was going to work. That girl was hooked on gate travel, whatever issues she has at the Academy, she's going to work them out.

And speaking of brilliant plans it does look as if Loran is going to be all right. He enjoyed the party and when we left him at the base he was looking well.

I understand the talk of motorcycles got him to see Dan Silar later on, and the two started to hit it off. I think if Mrs. Silar is open to the idea, Loran may end up at the Silar home if we don't find out his world's Stargate address.

Jack brings up the subject of Charlie's room tonight in bed, and I have to smile. The fact he brought it up and not me means he's more open to the idea of getting Jenny off the couch and into a proper bedroom.

It also means we're both healing. We'll never be completely over Charlie's death, but our son wouldn't want us to be emotional cripples for the rest of our lives.

He'd want us to move on, just as I'd want Jack to if I passed away and I suspect Jack would if he doesn't come back from one of his missions.

We're not ready yet, and I'm glad Jenny's okay with the sofa still, but I think we're a few more steps closer to letting go and moving on.

Much like Jennifer Hailey, we're ready to move on.


	20. Out of this World

Out of this world

Sara's story

"It's not fair," I heard Cassie grump yet again as we packed to go to this year's scifi convention. All of us agreed with her, but there was nothing any one of us could do. Correction, we could have looked on the bright side, which is what Jenny did.

"Well she did win the costume contest a few years ago, and became a minor celebrity among the convention goers. That was too much attention, so the Powers-that-be said no convention this year," Jenny reminded Cassie knowing when Zoe and Ally arrived the story would have to be adjusted to leave out that last part.

Neither Zoe nor Ally really knew their strange speaking friend Drey'auc was from another world, so reasons why she shouldn't attraction attention wouldn't seem to hold any weight to either of them.

Fortunately that didn't stop a friendship from developing between Ally and our two resident Jaffa.

When allowed, Teal'c and Drey'auc have kept up their friendship with Ally, which by default means me as well as the Jaffa were still not allowed off base whenever they want to go somewhere. So typically I go with them on these field trips, such as to see to Ally.

She would not alone in wishing Drey'auc could come with us.

"So let me get this straight, all of you are aliens?" Jennifer Hailey was still going over that in her mind. She had leave from the Academy, knew the secret, and wasn't averse to dressing up in a costume during this year's trip to the annual convention.

"Get it out of your system now, when Ally, Zoe and her mother get here, you're not to mention it," I remind her and was rewarded for my troubles with a look.

"I know Mrs. O'Neill, don't worry," she assured me and I try to put it to the back of my mind.

"And be a bit more sensitive," Jenny said quietly to Jennifer, "Cassie's people were wiped out."

One 'oh' from Cadet Hailey and I know that the comment wouldn't come up again.

This year was different beyond Drey'auc not able to come with us. This year, some of the guys were 'allowed' to come along.

Technically for me it was going to be a working convention as Martin was joining us there and we were taking Loran along with us.

Chake wanted to come, I heard he practically begged the General to let him come study this social gathering as he put it, but General Hammond was overruled in this case with him as he was with Drey'auc.

An invisible alien was not allowed to go to the science fiction convention.

So visible aliens were allowed, invisible aliens were not. I try not to shake my head about how that sounds.

All further talks about aliens were nixed when Zoe and Ally arrived. All the girls, plus Loran, were meeting at the O'Neill home where we loaded up the rented van.

Judy came over from next door with some cup cakes from the girls and one guy, Sam, that is Samuel her son, shuffled along ostensively to help her, but I could see the looks he kept stealing at Cassie. She of course was oblivious to his attraction.

It was kind of cute, and I hoped Sam Witwicky the best with his attraction to Cassie.

Right now he provided another male presence for Loran, and I almost asked him to come along, but Loran was to share a room with Marty and I couldn't quite be sure he would behave around Sam.

Behave as in not let anything slip. Cassie, Jenny and Jennifer know better, Loran will tow the line and keep quiet, Marty...Marty I'm not sure won't talk about government conspiracies or aliens. He's been doing that the last two visits we had.

At a scifi convention, not a big deal, but I'd rather not give Sam Witwicky any ideas to even hint his neighbors are anything but what Jack and I say we are.

Well, Jack, Jenny and I, as the Witwickys are getting use to Jenny as a permanent fixture around our house.

With Raine arriving now it will be time to finish loading up and head out, however that kind of departure was long in coming since Judy talked us into posing for a picture. That meant getting dressed in our costumes, trooping out to the stand next to our rented van and having us all stand together.

I stood at one end of the row, dressed as Janice Rand, I was not going for anything new this year and wore the old standby.

Jenny stood next to me dressed as Buffy the vampire slayer, where she had time to watch that I had no idea.

While we were standing in a row, somehow the three teens ended up in a cluster in the center. Standing next to Jenny was Ally dressed as someone called Max Guevara from a show named Dark Angel. In the center of our gathering, Cassie dressed as one of the incarnations of Kristine Kochanski from Red Dwarf. Next to her Zoe as Gabrielle from Xena.

We were surprised this year as Zoe's mother, Abby, came along and somehow was talked into coming as Xena. She stood behind the trio of teenagers, her hands resting on Ally's and Zoe's shoulders.

Jennifer flanked the trio on the opposite side of Jenny and surprised me by dressing as Wilma Deering from Buck Rogers, her silver suit number was definitely the Erin Gray version.

Raine surprised me the most as what she wore was so mundane compared to the usual costumed extravaganza she normally wears. Well it was mundane for our costumer mistress and I think a bit of a silent protest as she was dressed as a Klingon.

She didn't carry it off as well as Drey'auc, but I think her point was either to protest the fact Drey'auc wasn't allowed to come, or bring her along in spirit. Knowing Raine Lone Tree-Jackson as I do, I think it was the latter.

Sitting down in the middle and in front of our teenage trio was Sha're, her costume I am sure was influenced or chosen by Daniel. It's possible if Cassie knew 'One Thousand and One Nights' she might have suggested it for Sha're, but I don't think she's that well read yet.

So sitting in the middle was Sha're as Scheherazade, the storyteller of 'One Thousand and One Nights.'

Once the spots from the flash faded, we marched back inside, changed and loaded up. It was off to this year's scifi con, where we'll try and not feel too bad Drey'auc isn't with us this year.

Drey'auc's day

I do understand General Hammond's superiors being concerned with the attention I drew to myself winning the costume contest. However it was two Tau'ri years ago, and I think they should have relented and let me go with the others this year.

However the matter is settled with no hope of appeal. So here I stand with my husband as we watch a MALP go to a world that was from the Ancient database.

We watch and see lightning among buildings that do not look like anything Ancient Daniel Jackson has seen, nor anything my husband has ever encountered.

"MALPs can't fly," O'Neill notes as we plainly watch from its point of view that it indeed flying. Lighting shoots all around it and then we suddenly see nothing at all, yet the MALP has not been destroyed for it is still sending information, a signal that worries Samantha Carter.

That should have worried all of us as now lightning flies around the control before darkness descends on the stronghold briefly before lights come back up in the red of the Tau'ri emergency lighting.

It would be hours later before we discover we had been invaded by an entity that lives only in machines. It is perhaps good that Robby is off world on a mission and K-9 is at General Hammond's home watching over her granddaughters.

Later we find it was not so good that neither robots were on base. Major Carter had become possessed by the entity from that world the MALP had been sent to. Apparently it came here to stop us as our sending a MALP killed many of its people.

Taking over Major Carter was its way of trying to stay alive as we had cut power to the base and locked it from anything going in or out. The entity needed some how to survive and arranged for a trap where all Major Carter did was touch a keyboard in an attempt to communicate and it downloaded into her.

My husband and I do not doubt O'Neill was serious about sending more MALPs through if the entity did not leave Major Carter. It knew we wouldn't kill it because it was in her, however O'Neill's plan would insure that its reason for coming here was made useless if all of its people were dead.

Some would call it a bluff, but it was a promise General Hammond supported O'Neill with.

That made the entity believe and it chose to try and flee. We don't know where it was going using Major Carter's body, but we were not going to let it go far.

O'Neill was the first to raise a Zat'nik'tel to try and stop it. I followed, and heard another lock into place as my husband aimed his at Major Carter.

She, the entity, didn't believe O'Neill would shoot, having access to Major Carter's memories. The entity should have read more into them. He fired.

Teal'c and I exchanged a look and in that one glance I saw in his eyes what was there when he had a staff weapon pointed at Amonet when she was using a hand of the gods on Daniel Jackson. To save him, he would have shot Amonet and killed Sha're.

To save Major Carter, we were prepared to kill her.

O'Neill would have done it as Teal'c was fully prepared to fire that second Zat'nik'tel shot that would have ended Major Carter's live and stopped the entity.

I believe my husband was giving O'Neill the opportunity to fire as Major Carter's commanding officer, where he should do this if anyone.

I disagreed.

Not wishing for him to live with that decision as he had so many hard ones in the time I have known him, I fired and killed my friend Major Carter.

Sha're's story

So many different people, I do wish Jan'et did not have to work and Drey'auc could have come with us.

I find the 'Dealer's room' more like home than any place else in Dan'yel's country. Not in from how it looks, but how the merchants act. I can properly barter here unlike the supermarkets around Colorado Springs.

Sara was right about the looks we get, and it is flattering. She, Abby and I end up spending the most time together as the young ones wander off exploring this place on their own and Raine spends the first night and morning talking to others of her guild who make such attire as I am wearing.

Jenny and Jennifer make their rounds breaking young men's hearts and I find myself trying to recall if I was ever like that back home. The ways of the Tau'ri could be quite strange.

"I was really hoping for more mother-daughter time this weekend, which is why I agreed to dress like this," Abby says after lunch when we've met up with the girls and Raine, then find the young ones running off again to some other part of the convention.

"And she really does appreciate it," I hear my friend Raine explain to her, "She's just at the age where she's confused about it. She wants to be with you at the same time show her independence. Give her time, you'll find her back with you."

"After all she did get you to dress as Xena, and not just to have you in a costume," Sara explains, "She deliberately chose this Gabriella character, which I understand is Xena's faithful side-kick. In her own way she's showing she wants to connect with you Abby."

"Right now she has to show her friends she's one of them," I hear myself add, hoping Tau'ri girls are enough like Abydonian girls for my words to hold truth, "Later she will be with you after she is sure she is established with her friends."

Later I am shown to be right.

"I wonder where our 'J-team has gone off to?" Sara had said once we met in the afternoon, I was happy that Abby asked the question I wanted to.

"J-team?"

"Jenny and Jennifer, both Js and seem to be on the same team, so J-team,'' Sara explained to more than my satisfaction. An odd Tau'ri way of looking at things, but I understood it.

"We'll be happy to go out and search for them," Cassie volunteered and began to move off with Ally in tow. When Zoe didn't immediately follow they slowed to a stop.

"Zoe?" Cassie prompted.

"I'm going to stick around for a bit, you two go on," she replied moving closer to her mother. I could see Cassie understood what wasn't said. Her own mother couldn't come and if she had she would want to spend some time with her.

"Yeah, well, let's get going," Ally prodded Cassie and the two wandered off. My eyes met Abby's once, and then she turned to her daughter.

"Oh go on Sha're," Abby says and I cannot help but think of a saying Sara says that now I know what she means, 'not helping the situation,' "You tell good stories, and it's not like its up on stage, just this little group."

Looking briefly for Sara or Raine, when eyes return to the hopeful faces from some of the convention people, Abby continues her push for me to help out, "You don't need their permission. You're in America now, you don't need your husband's nor someone's else's permission to do what you want."

"Go ahead Mrs. Jackson, you do tell great stories," Zoe adds to her mother's plea.

When Dan'yel suggested this costume and the name that went along with it, I did read those stories and now I think it was a mistake to tell some of the stories last night to Cassie, Ally and Zoe.

Abby had heard them, as well as Raine and Sara, and here it comes to do as Jack would say, 'Bite me in the Mule.'

Well mother was a good story teller herself. It is partly why I knew where to take Dan'yel when he was first on my world. She had told the stories we were forbidden to write down or read.

Father never approved, but would never stop my mother. Perhaps it is my turn to pass on the gift she gave me when she told Skaara and myself all those stories.

"Alright, I will do it, but only a few," I said as they lead me to a circle of chairs and someone makes an announcement.

I had no idea I would be so well received. Sara certainly didn't and I could see her face in the audience as later the circle of chairs prompted such compliments and suggestions that I do so from up on stage.

So many to tell the stories, which if I had not been pretending to be Scheherazade I would not have had the courage to speak in front of so many people.

When I heard the second round of applause I recall Drey'auc and how popular I heard she became at a convention, wondering if next year I too might be asked not to go.

I need to go see Sara and hopefully she will tell me it is all right.

Something is wrong.

Sara is off to the phone often and I have heard the words 'lockdown.' That would mean the mountain and Dan'yel. Yet we cannot let on with the young ones. Cassie, Zoe and Ally should not be worried, nor Abby.

Sara's summary

"I am -not- leaving you here next year," I declare to Drey'auc -after- Jack brings me up to speed on what happened at the base this weekend.

She raised an eyebrow in the manner of her husband and I knew in her own way she got my joke. Not that what happened was any sort of laughing matter.

It was in keeping to SGC weirdness though. Flying MALPs, entities taking over the computer system and then downloading into Sam.

Things that if someone told me about before my years at the SGC I'd laugh in their faces and ask what was that scifi writer smoking when they came up with that sort of plot.

However it's nearly the norm for those at Stargate command.

I did pass Airmen Bosworth and Wells of SG-13 back from another offworld mission of 'Ghost hunting.' Apparently there are those keeping track of how many times those of SG-1 die and come back from death.

Daniel's in the lead, and apparently they had debated if the time Jolinar took her over and the Ash'rak killed her, counted when it was really only Jolinar who died.

The debate was back as Sam was possessed by some electrical entity and also died again, but came back because the entity uploaded her into the computer mainframe. So to bring her back to life all we had to do was download her back into her body.

A body that died when Drey'auc shot her with a Zat after Jack had shot Sam the first time.

I know Jack was both angry and feeling guilty that he was relieved Drey'auc did fire. He felt it was his responsibility and I know he takes his responsibilities very seriously.

In a way Drey'auc saved Jack from having to kill a friend, or believe he did before they found out where Sam's mind had been transferred to.

Jack was moved by it, and would live with it, however I also know it would bother him. Responsibility aside, it would bother him because he knew he would do it and if it came down to it, he'd do it again.

Pretty heavy thoughts as we drive back home that night. Ones that make me want to wait to tell him or General Hammond about Sha're winning an award at the scifi convention.

They both have enough on their minds anyway and it really can wait.

Though it makes me wonder who will get to go next year and as what. A discussion for another time, perhaps a long another time as I'm sure Sam at least just is glad to be herself for a while.

Which gives me an idea on how to relax Jack tonight. I think one more time with me dressed as Janice Rand might lighten his mood later in the bedroom.

It should make taking off that costume -very- interesting later tonight.


	21. Double Take

Double Take

Sara's story

I knew they were out there of course. Living their lives, not making babies, intending to see how it would be like to live thousands of years. I'd heard that General Hammond had the go-ahead of making them unofficial, off-the-books, SG team called SG-X.

What I didn't expect was to see them again. Well see them at the SGC at any time. I still remember robo-Jack, as I'll never call that one to his face, when he first came through and he thought he was my Jack just as I thought he was my Jack.

When we saw the white liquid that should have been red as blood ought to be, it freaked everyone out, them as well as us.

It's been years now since then, although Jack still doesn't like them, others do, especially SG-6 who appreciates the rescue they pulled off from the Stragoth. I've even heard the Tok'ra praise them.

Now they, well Harlan and 'I' are coming through the Stargate. It was very weird watching me walk down the ramp dressed in BDUs. Irrationally I wonder if this is how others see me.

There are many times I just don't follow Jack out to greet visitors as if by an unspoken rule between us for me to remain safe, but I was not going to stay in the control room while the rest of SG-1, and General Hammond went out to meet me...them.

"We have to talk," I hear my other self say and then turn over the conversation to Harlan as she turned to me.

"Congratulations," she said surprised me with a hug, in fact from the look on her face she surprised herself with the hug. "You and your Jack are now officially married as I've heard," she says in a way I know from myself means something else. It won't be major, but Jack and Dad have picked up on it over the years to know there was something else, possibly amusing left unsaid.

So while she dangled the bait, I did what I'd wish the men in my life did more often, I bit, "Heard?"

"Downloaded," she made a face that made me laugh, one she joined in and turned the heads of the others towards us.

"What?" we chorused and then looked at each other to laugh again.

It turned out I'd have to wait to find out what that look meant when she made as she mentioned downloading. It was meeting time, yet unlike other times I was included in the meeting. I imagine the reasoning was that 'I' was also the visitor who was very much apart of this meeting.

"We need to coordinate," I, she, began and then asked a question, "Do you remember a world called Juna?"

"P3X-729," Teal'c said without hesitation, I noticed Drey'auc was ready to answer if her husband hadn't. From the look on 'my' face, I could see my robo-self noticed that too.

"Ah, P3X-729," 'I' had said and made that look again, not quite as strong as when she uttered 'downloaded' but it was still there so that meant it was associated with it.

Wow, I'm actually psycho-analyzing myself. Now who would have thought of that as part of the SGC weirdness?

"Well we ended up there and it became very ... messy," I know that look, she was understanding in a way I had learned from Jack. No way was did I start out that way, I picked that up over our years of marriage.

"They unburied their gate," my Jack said with a look that screamed 'idiots!'

"Yes and no," robo-self said, she was looking for a way to say it delicately but as I often had to do plunged in bluntly, "Kronus came, he saw, he conquered and then he died."

THAT was a Jack-ism if I ever heard it. Have I really picked up that much from my husband? Stealing a glance at him, and catching Daniel looking at him too, I can see we're wondering the same thing.

Teal'c and Drey'auc were focusing on other matters, the former likely didn't realize he rose out of his seat, "Kronus is dead?" Even our stoic son of Chulak looked a mix of pleased and shocked all at once.

Hmm, from that look on 'my' face I gather I didn't take his reaction into consideration when 'I' spoke, but it's not surprising 'me' now.

"Yes," she nodded, it really was weird listening to me talk, and watching me move with gestures I know are mine, even that slight smile on my face, "You killed him with your bare hands."

Now Teal'c sat back down, Drey'auc's hands going to his shoulders in a gestured of being happy for him that crossed the cultural divides. He had a smile on his face that the rest of us rarely get to see.

"Yes, you're quite pleased with yourself too," robo-Sara added with a larger smile, then turned back to the rest of us, "What happened was our team ended up on P3X-729 and were ambushed by the natives. The long story short is they naturally thought we were you and were not happy that while you overthrew Heru-ur and told them to bury their gate, Kronus came in a ship to take them over."

"If Kalakek wasn't there it would have been awful," and I knew from the way she was looking down at the table, and then over at Daniel, just who it would have been 'awful' for. I also knew she meant dead.

Drey'auc's Day

Seeing myself waiting to greet us was as unusual as it had been seeing Sara's robotic duplicate. After her meeting, General Hammond did authorize a relief effort to P3X-729. It was partially to show support for abandoning false gods and also to give truth to the words of our duplicates who their Sara kept telling them that they were not us, but only a few believed them.

Instead of what had become customary for me to flank SG-1 with my husband on the other side in a non-threatening situation, I walked ahead to talk to myself as Sara might put it.

"Your Sara says she was not there, but you were. How did it happen?" I did not think I needed to specify what as killing Kronus was something important to both of our husbands.

"O'Neill had been hit with a Zat'nik'tel when we stepped through the Chappa'ai, the rest of us knew we could defeat the native population yet their assertion we had been here confused us enough that we decided to let them take us prisoner," my duplicate self started at the beginning as I might have done instead of getting to, again as Sara would put it, 'the good part.'

She went on to tell me of how O'Neill had slipped away while the natives and their Jaffa leader were focused upon us. How Kronus was summoned once it was learned who was captured, and how the team was brought into his presence in chains and made to kneel before him.

"...all when we could have broken out at any time. Kronus had also gathered natives, not knowing the O'Neill was now among their number in disguised, nor that Kalakek walked among them unsensed by any symbiote." I knew I did not have to repeat this to Teal'c as he would ask himself how Kronus died, but others back home would want to know. Indeed Jenny now flanked on the other side of me listening.

"I bet he pontificated for a while didn't he?" she asked to the bafflement of both of us.

"Pontificated?" we chorused as Sara and her duplicate had back at the SGC.

"Gloat, she means gloat," apparently O'Neill was close enough to hear us. I knew he was not happy about meeting his duplicate, and tended to distance himself from the duplicate Sara that walked beside his own wife as she came along this time.

"Then yes, Kronus pontificated about how this will be a great day in history, how Teal'c would die a slow and painful death worse than his father," I could well imagine such a scene as I heard my duplicate describe it unfolding in front of me.

"To prove the loyalty of the natives he had their leader who apparently knew of you," I needlessly filled in the name Darien, or thought it was needless until I realize unlike we who met him on our trip to this planet, or our duplicates now, Jenny would not know the name of this person.

'I' nodded and continued, "Darien was handed a Kara'bashaak'tak and told to kill Daniel Jackson."

Sha're's story

"You were going to let him kill you?" I knew my voice climbed several octaves as Jan'et told me the word, and I didn't care at that point. Besides, I could tell that my other self wanted to say these words yet did not.

That Dan'yel acted so much like my own, "Kronus had staff weapons pointed at Darien's people, and it was either let them kill me or have them shoot the others. I couldn't count on Jack being able to stop them all in time."

"But you should have let him try rather than let Darien shoot you," I scolded the other Dan'yel, feeling mine was trying to be anywhere else but right here and feeling sorry for 'himself.'

"But he -didn't- shoot me," that Dan'yel defended as mine would have done.

"Only because Kalakek was there," it was very liberating, another word I know has more meanings than in my language, to be able to admonish that Dan'yel as I knew we didn't have to make up later. That I would leave to his Sha're.

After all, making up is half the fun to what arguments Dan'yel and I might get in.

I was playing what the Tau'ri call the 'bad cop' and would let that Sha're play the 'good cop' later on.

"You could have broken your chains and there were five of you, four chained where they would not expect you to get free, and Jack who was hidden among Darien's people," from the way he looked down I could see that both he was very sorry and did see what could have happened had not Kalakek been apart of their number.

"Instead I fired into the Jaffa, and had them firing everywhere but at the natives," Kalakek startled me as much as Chake does back at the SGC when he spoke up so suddenly.

Now Dan'yel, the other one, had that shy smile I always loved and shook his head, "Yes, Kalakek loves chasing Jaffa in panic mode."

"Panic mode?" Kalakek repeated and to my ears he sounded defensive.

"You love scaring them, Kal," their Jack spoke up looking at the spot that the Re'tu must have been standing in. From the way the rest of the other duplicates also looked, all of them could see him.

Having been startled more than once by Chake who often suddenly spoke up beside, or behind me, I found for a brief moment I wished I was my duplicate self, but only for a moment.

"They are so delightful when they get all panicky," I could not believe the Re'tu used a Tau'ri word and that had to be a Tau'ri word.

"Panicky?" both Dan'yel's chorused prompting me to look at my other self and smile. Our gaze held the same message, they are the same person and we love them so.

"Well yes, panicked and running or firing where they think I am. They pretty much guessed what was attacking them, but the fact their symbiotes aren't sensing me throws them into a panic. Even Kronus looked scared there at first. Definitely at the end of his lives, both his host and himself."

Sara's summary

I could not -believe- we're doing this.

Not the fact that General Hammond promised to send updates about where and what SG-1 is doing so we don't have this mix up again. Nor the fact of having K-9 back on base.

It was actually nice that the General brought 'Toto' in for an idea Jenny had and Teal'c in particular loved. Jack suggested the popcorn, probably totally inappropriate for what we were watching, but considering it was my Jack who suggested it and what we were watching, it made sense.

"I'm kind of nervous even though I didn't do this," Daniel told us as he stood up in front of a packed room. Just about everyone who could get here is here for this so-called private viewing.

"In away you did Dan'yel, be proud of your work," I hear Sha're support her husband just as Jack was doing as he went up front to take the spotlight, but really to take the heat off of our Danny boy.

"Jack?"

"Daniel?"

Then he promptly turned from Danny and to us the audience, he seemed a natural although I know he hates talking in front of crowds like this.

"Folks, what you are about to see is curtsey of SG-X, our official, unofficial covert ops team. I know we're all happy how they got SG-6 home that one time and a few times when they backed up a team who couldn't get support from the SGC directly. You'll have to talk to our resident girl genius on the particulars, but bottom line, they downloaded what they saw into Toto and their Danny boy did some editing, hopefully this won't come across as a dig's documentary."

"Hey!" I couldn't help but smile with Daniel's protest.

"Well girls, roll 'em!" Jack said and hurried to join me. I took his hand, gave a squeeze, pecked his cheek and left him otherwise alone. I was rewarded with a return peck as he leaned into me and not so much looks at the movie that was being projected by K-9 of all things, but at Teal'c's face.

I have to admit that made better watching than the gruesome replay of Kalakek slaughtering the initial Jaffa and then the survivors. The ones he deliberately let go I'm told, they ran out firing as they went in hopes of hitting him.

So while I listened to the firing, the yelling, the screaming and watched Teal'c's face as he stood up as his other self snapped his chains and ran up the dais Kronus was on to grab the Goa'uld by the throat.

I did turn to the screen to see what all the strangling noises Kronus was making was due to. I suppose it was like some strange fascination of a train wreck. You know you shouldn't watch, you should turn away, but I didn't. I looked and palmed my face once I realized what that Teal'c was doing with Kronus.

Teal'c must have gotten the idea from watching TV during that first year he was on Earth, because he lifted Kronus off the ground. On television we'd get a cut to a pair of dangling legs, here we'd have to use our imagination. Whomever this recording was from didn't look down, they were watching Teal'c and Kronus with great interest.

Several someones as the angles changed, none of them below the waist.

It really was like some Hollywood flick with the way the Goa'uld hit at Teal'c's arm as he hung in the air, but if he thought he was going to die that way, this Teal'c had another Hollywood-ism he did.

More than one movie had the threat 'Tear your heart out of your chest and watch it beat as you die.' Well Teal'c made that a reality.

I'm not one for gore and I suspect a few in the SGC attending this movie night weren't others from the sounds they were making, I turned away at first. However that train wreck watching reflex rose up and I found myself watching what I normally wouldn't want to see.

With one arm still holding Kronus up, Teal'c's other hand drove effortless into Kronus' host's chest and pulled out the still beating heart.

I -might- ask Janet if that is really possible or if robo-Teal'c was doing something technical to make the heart keep beating, but I doubt I would actually get around to it.

Robo-Teal'c showed it to Kronus and I looked back at our Teal'c, just as Jack was doing. Teal'c, our Teal'c had this huge smile on his face and I swear his eyes looked wet, but that could have been just the lighting.

Once Kronus the host died, Teal'c dropped him like a trash bag, no longer a concern. We found out that also was only for effect.

Kronus the symbiote was trying to slither away and robo-Teal'c's reflexes were too quick for him.

Despite the fact I looked for the heart-out-of-the-chest-thing, I couldn't when Teal'c crushed Kronus slowly in one hand.

Opening my eyes after the cheering was over, I felt Jack pull me into a comforting hug as if we'd been watching a horror move, which in a way we had been.

I joined in the applause not because I enjoyed that gore-fest, but because I also was happy for Teal'c. Regardless of what had been seen, I focus on what that Teal'c said to Kronus before the symbiote went splat.

"For our father."

Whether he knew our Teal'c would be watching this or not, at the time of avenging their father, that duplicate of Teal'c made sure to include the original as they both shared the same memory and passion about the man Kronus took from them.


	22. Gifts

Gifts

Sara's story

"So how did your date go last night Aunt Sara?" Jenny's question pulling me out of the pleasant daydream I was having about said date.

"He really knows how to treat a girl," I replied still a bit dreamy, then I gave a good heave-ho to get back to reality, SGC and Jenny.

"So Uncle Jack still has it?" Jenny's question made me feel flushed a bit, and whether or not I wanted that smile it came readily to my lips.

"I know most don't think he has a romantic bone in his body..." I began with Jenny impishly interjecting.

"Don't worry I won't tell."

"...but he knows how to sweep me off my feet. Metaphorically and literally."

"So out of the blue or do you think it has to do with something specific?" Janet asked as she sat down at our table in the commissary.

"Cynic."

"Realist."

I was not alone laughing at Janet's response, Jenny joined in with me. I still felt I had to defend my guy with some possible explanation.

"Maybe he's just in such a good mood since SG-X gave Earth Kronus' Ha'tak?" I threw out as a reason, I know it wasn't -the- reason, but I have to protect Jack's reputation.

He told me last night amid the candle light that he just wants to keep the romance alive. Married shouldn't mean we stop having special times together.

While I personally think he might have been either taking lessons from Daniel, or reading a self-help book, I'm not going to sully his efforts by trying to find out.

"Oh yes the same Ha'tak we're lending the Tok'ra for whatever plan they have," Janet tossed back her salvo as we dug into what the commissary schedule declared was lunch.

"To help promote the Tok'ra-Tau'ri alliance," I gamely sent back and decided Jenny needs to be in on this, "Why aren't you with them now?"

"I -know- how to fly a Ha'tak. I don't have to be taught, or learn my way around it before we send it off," Jenny said with a shrug.

Times like this I tend to forget how much our young Gallifreyan knows.

"Roger is on it now learning his way around," Janet said and I can see despite the cool exterior she's warming up now the subject is turning towards her guy.

"You're not the only one whose man is missing in aerospace," the surprising voice of Maureen Robinson has us up and giving hugs, after she puts down her tray, before we know it.

"When did you get back?" I ask as last I knew she was still among the Re'tu.

"Not long ago, I wanted to check on the latest results for the roshna we promised Mr. Boch," she said sitting down, "Also thought it would be nice to see the family again..."

"Except John is off with that Ha'tak," Janet volunteered.

That's when I perhaps shouldn't have let my small irritation show, "I can see sending SG-8 and 10 along, but not so much SG-1."

They could see what was really bothering me and decided to humor me anyway. "Well Teal'c knows his way around a Ha'tak, Sam has a father in the Tok'ra, Daniel can read Goa'uld and Sha're has enough memories left to possibly fly the ship," Janet listed taking a break from trying to decide what exactly is on her plate.

"What I don't get is why the robotic duplicates gave us the ship in the first place," she went on speculating, "You'd think they would keep it."

I shook my head, "Their Jack said something about finding Oz and not needing the witch's broomstick. Whatever that means."

"They did say they were moving, and will be in touch once they've relocated," Jenny said finishing her lunch, such as it was.

"What is it with our allies, is everyone moving?"

Drey'auc's Day

"You're doing well Sha're, apparently its coming back to you," I listen to General Carter encourage Sha're as she pilots the Ha'tak with Colonel Austin and Majors Nelson and Healy looking on.

As I understand it SG-10 has the most experience piloting alien spacecraft and so are lending their expertise as well as learning to fly a Ha'tak during this mission to the Tok'ra.

"Jacob any chance we'll have time to look at the hyperdrive before we leave?" Professor Robinson asks in a polite manner.

"I think Sha're has things well in hand up here. Once Jenny joins us we can head to the current Tok'ra base. Come long Professor, and party," he said the last with a smile and while I don't get the humor it did bring smiles to the rest of SG-8.

Those that were here.

I understand that Major West and Captain Walker are with my husband going over 'pointers' about flying an Udajeet.

One this mission is over the Tau'ri will have a fleet of udajeets to work with instead of the one that nearly killed my husband and O'Neill earlier this year.

"Come along Sam I know you'll like this part of the tour," General Carter called out to his daughter who seemed torn between wanting to stay and watch what Sha're was doing and following her father to see how Goa'uld technology works.

I am surprised when my husband shows up. I would think that he would be teaching the Tau'ri up until we had to leave.

It turned out I was both right and wrong.

He did intend to teach until the ship was on its way, but not only the Tau'ri.

"Drey'auc, attend," he said in a tone that I know to the Tau'ri would sound harsh and demanding, but I hear the tender undertones that nearly make me smile as I walk over to him.

"Sha're weapons if you please," and after a moment a weapons console rose up out of the floor.

"Drey'auc stand here," he instructed and I stood in the spot he told me to stand, but instead of teaching me in the manner of the Jaffa, he does so as I have seen O'Neill teach his wife how to shoot a Tau'ri weapon.

Teal'c moves up behind me, our bodies close and touching, his arms reach around to place my hands on the domes that control the weapons.

His words are deep, soft and sonorous as he tells me how to fire the Ha'tak's weapons as his hands over mine move as the lessons progress.

This is not the Jaffa way and I couldn't be happier about it.

Sha're's story

"That was exciting Dan'yel," I try to reassure my husband as we orbit the world where the Tok'ra presently dwell. I can tell he's still worried that recalling my time when Amonet ruled me would be hard on me.

It is, but the Tau'ri need to know or have someone who they can trust pilot this Ha'tak.

I know Jack doesn't trust the Tok'ra completely and had been against lending this ship to them for this one mission. But General Hammond was firm and gave the order.

"Are you sure you will be alright up here?" Dan'yel's hands on my shoulders does much to make me sure I will be.

I still turn to him to speak though, regretting that I have to move away from his hands to face him, "I will Dan'yel and you know Jack needs you down there with the Tok'ra. Saman'tha will stay up here as well as Jenny, Don, Steve, Jeb, Tony, Roger..."

"Alright, alright, I get the point. You'll be fine and surrounded by the SGC's brightest and bravest."

"No my Dan'yel," I reach up with my hand to his face then stand up on my toes to kiss my husband, "The brightest and bravest is right here and he's going down to the planet below."

Jon'athan, Doug, An'thony, Sam'eul, Jeannie's Tony, Steve, and Rog'er have plenty of questions that fill the time the Tok'ra are loading their base onto the Ha'tak.

I miss the fact that a Goa'uld spy Tanith had escaped and warned Apophis of the Tok'ra's plan. There is much activity as Tok'ra rush to either evacuate to an alternate base through the Chappa'ai or search for Tanith. I hear there is a Goa'uld fleet is on its way here. The biggest every assembled and one that belongs to only one demon.

This time when Dan'yel asks me later I have a different answer, "Are you alright?"

"No, Dan'yel I am not."

I try to be brave, everyone needs me to be brave, but right now I just want Dan'yel's arms around me, which he I feel a heartbeat later.

"He is coming Dan'yel," and we both know who I mean.

"Sam's plan is going to kill him in a way no Sarcophagus can ever bring him back Sha're," Dan'yel's words like his arms sooth me a bit.

"Will it work?" I should know better than to ask, if Saman'tha offers a plan it will work, but I have to ask, "Will placing a Chappa'ai into the sun here make it blow up?"

"Here reasoning is sound. Dialing P3W-451 where there is a black hole will suck in enough of the sun to make it go nova because it will disturb the balance between a sun wanting to explode anyway and its mass holding it together."

I don't understand all of what Dan'yel is saying, but that makes me trust it more. I can hear in his words he's more repeating what Saman'tha said rather than what he understood what will happen.

This time I don't move out his embrace, but hold his arms around me with my own, "So Apophis will die finally and stay dead. The demon who ruined our lives will be forever gone."

"I am glad Tanith escaped to give us this gift."

"Alright Sha're take us out," Jacob's voice surprise us both, but Dan'yel is slow to let me go as he turns to face the others who walk into the Pel'tak.

Jack, Jacob, Jenny are faces I expected to see, Ma'chello's I had not.

He saw the question on my face and answered it with a cackle and clap of his hands, "I wouldn't miss the death of so many Goa'ulds for anything."

However there are two faces I do not see and that worries me, "Where are Drey'auc, Teal'c and Saman'tha?"

Dan'yel would say as if on cue since Saman'tha enters the Pel'tak right after I ask my question.

"The last of the Tok'ra have been evacuated and the Stargate's been loaded into the cargo bay. We're good to go," she informs all of us, SG-8 and 10 following behind her.

"Teal'c is still trying to track Tanith out in the desert and Drey'auc is with him," Jacob explains and sees my worry, "We'll go back for him. We just need to deliver the Stargate to the sun and then see if this works."

I spot Jack looking around and then move as if someone might beat him to his goal of hoping up onto the throne of the Pel'tak.

Everyone looks at him and he says one word that makes no sense to me but everyone else seems to understand what he means as he remains sitting on the throne, "Shotgun."

"Sha're take us out," Jacob says and I turn to the console to begin to pilot us towards the sun.

At first I didn't understand what Jack meant as he asked, "Jacob, shouldn't you be driving?"

Driving isn't that about those dreadful car things?

"You have something against women driver's Jack?" Jacob asks in return and now I'm sure they're talking about cars.

"This is not a car!" I say more forcefully than I should have.

The room is painfully silent and I regret my outburst immediately.

Jacob ignores the silence and looks over the shoulder Dan'yel is not standing behind, "We're on course for the sun. I see the fleet on long range scanners. At current speed they'll be here in 68 minutes."

Saman'tha follows her father's lead to move past the silence my outburst created, "The timing has to be precise. Once we're close enough to the sun we'll slow to five percent light speed and release the Gate. That should give us more than enough time to get away."

I'm grateful for their efforts and it makes the journey not so tense as I hear small conversations begin among the many people here in the Pel'tak.

We're almost to the sun when I hear the doors open and turn to see Saman'tha and SG-8 leave. Dan'yel answers my unasked question, "They're going to set up for the Stargate drop."

It does look like this is going to work and Apophis will soon be dead. The Chappa'ai is soon dialed to the place it needs to be and on its way to the sun.

Then we come under attack.

"Sha're weapons," Jacob says and I raise the weapon console from the floor of the Pel'tak. He moves over to it and begins to fire at our attacker as the Pel'tak fills up with SG-1, 8 and 10 all asking what is going on.

"We're under attack," Jack says from the throne silencing everyone, save Jacob.

"An Al'kesh, must have been cloaked."

We shake from several more hits and hear Jacob say, "She's too quick."

"Death-gliders," Jack says, "Austin take your team down to the hangar and launch two gliders, West and Walker you join them."

"I could use a second," and at first when Steve says that I think of time, then I recall a udajeet is piloted best with two.

Jack hops off the throne, "You got one now Colonel, let's go."

It is so frustrating. I try to bring up shields again and again, but must concede defeat and tell everyone remaining in the Pel'tak, "Shields are inoperative."

"It can't be Apophis, it's too soon," Jacob muses as he continues to fire at the Al'kesh.

"Udajeet launching," I report before another hits cause the power to fail. I do not need to explain the obvious when the lights go out.

"You must have hit him once Jacob, the Al'kesh is just sitting there," Jack reports over the radio, "Oh wait, must have fixed themselves, they're headed off. We're chasing it."

"Let me see about fixing us," Jacob says on his way out of the Pel'tak, "Ma'chello, Sam, Jenny, Professor Robinson come with me."

"Doug, Tony, Samuel, tag along," Jona'than says to the rest of his team. I feel Dan'yels arms around me again while we wait to hear that either the Al'kesh was destroyed or power is restored.

Lights, which means power, comes back on. "I should get to flying us again, Dan'yel," I remind my husband who understandably regretfully lets go of me.

"I'm heading for Vorash," it is the fastest way to pick up the udajeets rather than have them fly back to us and we need to pick up Drey'auc and Teal'c.

"Dan'yel! I am picking up the fleet, they're here."

"He's a little ahead of schedule. The other ship must have warned him to pick up the pace," Jacob explains as he and the others walk back into the Pel'tak.

"Where did the Al'kesh come from?" my Dan'yel ask as I try to race Apophis' fleet to Vorash and our friends.

"Tanith, he probably had the ship nearby laying in wait for him. It explains why we were attacked so soon," Jacob offers as an answer.

"I hope our Jaffa friends are ready at the rings like we agree," Jacob says as Vorash comes in sight, "We'll have one pass we can make and then we have to get out of here."

"We should be in radio range now," Saman'tha offers.

"Colonel O'Neill what's your status?" Jon'athan radios as he now is the highest ranking officer as Dan'yel has explained to me before.

"We took out the Al'kesh, but it looks like there is a fire fight going on down at the rings, several Jaffa, Tanith against Teal'c and Drey'auc...Teal'c's down, Drey'auc's hit, looks like with a Zat. We're going in."

"What can they do in udajeets?" I quietly ask Dan'yel.

"Strafe the area I suppose, get the other Jaffa to back off," Dan'yel explains as I pour my wishes into the Ha'tak to get there faster.

We are not fast enough.

"Break off Sha're they're almost in orbit," Jacob tells me and I hear Jon'athan radio next.

"Colonel, get your gliders back here. Apophis is beating us to the planet," he waited and didn't hear anything back, "You can't do anything more from there. We aren't giving up, we still have time for a plan."

"Well we cleared out the Jaffa at least," I hear Steve say as they pull away from Vorash, "Sharp shooting and flying everyone. Let's head back to the barn."

"Sha're take us away from Vorash, swing us around the sun," I hear and with tears in my eyes I obey.

Oh Drey'auc you have never abandoned me, how can I do this to you now?

I watch three udajeets approach us and apparently it gives Ma'chello an idea, "I think I know a way to distract the fleet. They're here for the Tok'ra, let's give them the Tok'ra."

"Let's head for the udajeet bays, I'll need every hand except you Sha're. You stay up here and be ready to move into orbit of Vorash when the fleet accepts my gift of a distraction."

Left alone I let the tears go and then wipe them away. Everyone is depending on me. Drey'auc is depending on me.

I see that the Chappa'ai has entered the sun. Then I see all the udajeets launch from this Ha'tak. We don't have enough people to fly that many udajeets, so how can this be?

"What happened?" I ask as the others return to the Pel'tak.

"I rigged the udajeets for remote guidance," Ma'chello answers and I look around for someone to explain what that means.

"Remote control Mrs. Jackson," Steve says, "We turned all the gliders into UAVs."

"Unmanned combat air vehicles," Dan'yel whispers. I had heard the term about the SGC and Jon'athan's son Will is very good with them.

This is a case I'll not let Dan'yel know I knew what that meant. We just watch the udajeets fly off and then Apophis' fleet chase after them thinking they're filled with Tok'ra no doubt.

"Back on approach," I tell everyone.

"Less than 4 minutes before the sun begins to supernova," Jacob updates everyone, this is going to be close.

"Let's ring down ourselves, Teal'c and Drey'auc had been hit, and weren't moving after we strafed the other Jaffa," Jack says on his way out.

Only Saman'tha, Dan'yel, Don and Jeb follow them out. The rings could only transport so many at once.

"We're in orbit now, they're ringing down," Jacob tells the others, "Come on Jack, come on...They're up!"

"Where's Teal'c?" I hear from behind me a minute later, I don't turn from operating the Ha'tak, but Dan'yel has, "I see Drey'auc, but no Teal'c."

"We saw signs of his being dragged to the rings, Apophis must have him now," Steve says.

"Sun going supernova," Jon'athan says with awe I cannot feel knowing Teal'c is about to die with Apophis.

"We've got to go now!" Jacob announces and I engage the hyperdrive.

And if fails seconds later.

"What happened?" Dan'yel asks before I do.

Ma'chello walked up to the console and I moved aside.

"This is not good," he said moments later, "Some of you may not have noticed a flash before we exited hyperspace, but it represent our catching the part of the supernova's effects on our hyperspactial window. It may have only been a few seconds journey but it was far in advance of how fast a Goa'uld hyperdrive can do."

Jacob finished studying the readings and turned to the rest of us, "Folks we're in another galaxy entirely."

"Which means without a supernova to affect us it will take 125 years to get back," Ma'chello pointed out.

Sara's Summary

Where are they? No-one really knows and so far our allies have not yet reported back about the success of the mission to get rid of Apophis' fleet.

Success because SG-1 has always won. Jack has always pulled off these impossible missions. So it has to be success.

I wont' think of it any other way.

They'll be home soon. They'll be back. Jack and I will drive home and talk about his wild adventure and we'll likely have another barbeque just to celebrate Apophis' demise.

It's been a good year, where at the start of it I thought I might be out of a job with Drey'auc joining SG-1, and Sha're getting more involved.

Didn't think there was much for the SGC alien welcoming committee of one to do.

Now we have Shaun'auc, Marty, Loran, and I can't forget Chake, all insuring job security even if Sha're does become a full time member of SG-1 next year.

So next year has promise and right now I'll just finish up this diary entry and wait for SG-1 to dial in again.

Wait for my Jack to come home to me again.

Author's note:

I want to thank everyone who has hanged in there for this season where I experimented a bit too much with different ideas and notions. I do hope everyone has enjoyed season four of Stargate: Wives and you'll be back when season five starts up.

Again thank you everyone!


End file.
